My Heart and Your Soul
by xeikm
Summary: Gill Hart begins his Pokemon journey in the Johto region where he makes plenty of friends, partners, enemies, and even a rival. This is his story. Gold/Silver/HeartGold/SoulSilver. Yaoi. SilverXMaleOC.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: Welcome to my new and exciting fan fic! This one is dedicated to the super awesome world of Pokemon. The story will take place in Johto with the Gold/Silver/HeartGold/SoulSilver storyline. This first chapter is just the prologue to give you a taste for what I have planned in the story. This is a yaoi so expect lemons between the major pairing Gill (my equivlant to Gold) and Silver that will be taking place in the near future. Well, let me know what you think so far and I'll try and post the real chapter one sometime next week! Hopefully. Read and review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing at all!

**Prologue:**

At ten years old Gill Hart knew that he wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer like his father. No, scratch that last statement. He wanted to become a Pokémon Master just like his father! As far as the little boy was concerned, there was no trainer out there that was stronger then his dad. Nobody could beat him now matter how hard they tried.

Clair was only the latest Gym Leader to be defeated by Victor Hart.

Victor was an attractive man in his early thirties, built like a brick house. He was firm of chin, solid muscle all over his body, and piercing emerald colored eyes that reached out to a person or Pokémon's heart. He wore a loose fitted shirt with khaki pants that all fitted his frame nicely. Running his hand through his raven-colored hair, he pulled out a Pokéball from his belt and held it up now that his match was over.

"Great job, Blastoise!" said Victor. "You won us another gym badge!"

"Blastoise!" shouted the giant, blue turtle Pokémon as he returned to his Pokéball.

Victor smirked at the blue haired Gym Leader who sent her Dragonair back into her Pokéball. Clair wore a fitted, dark blue suit with a black cape behind her back. She had heels on her feet, gloves on her hands, and her blue haired tied up into a ponytail. She growled at her defeat, but she refused to let this be the end of her.

"Just because you beat me in battle, doesn't mean you get my Gym Badge," said Clair.

"That's against the Pokémon League regulations!" shouted Victor. "I defeated you, a Gym Leader, now you must relinquish your Gym Badge!"

"You tell her daddy!" shouted Lyra, Gill's older sister.

"Show that meanie who is boss!" shouted Gill.

The children of Victor were hiding out on a dragon pillar behind the main ring. They were watching the match with the Junior Trainers of the Blackthorn City Gym, who were all amazed that their precious Clair lost to this man.

Lyra had her arm wrapped over Gill's shoulder as they peered in closer. Lyra's long, brown hair fell off her shoulders with her white cap slowly tipping over too. Her blue eyes took a solid look on her father as she swelled up with pride. She needed to adjust that before she fell off into the real lava pit below them. Gill's hair had the same shine as his sister, although, it was black like their dad's hair. His hazel colored eyes radiated with warmth and compassion for others. Both of the kids were physically small and wore matching overalls, except Lyra had a red t-shirt underneath and Gill was running around shirtless.

Gill brushed his hair to the side so that he could see his daddy chew off this mean Gym Leader.

Clair just shook her head though, disagreeing as she walked off the hanging pillar. Victor followed behind her as he continued to argue with her about his Gym Badge. He followed her towards the entrance of the gym with her storming off towards the water.

The Gym Trainers and Victor's children followed Clair outside as well. They all looked with much curiosity, while Victor threatened to press charges against her. She was still refusing to budge though before spinning around to face the pissed off Trainer. "I am the Gym Leader and I have final say in the matter," she argued. "If you want the Rising Badge then you need to go to the Dragon's Den and bring back a Dragon's Fang." She gestured to the cave behind the Gym. It looked all dark and creepy in Gill's eyes, while Victor was merely calculating it all in his head. "You do that then I'll hand over my Gym's badge to you. Is that understood, Trainer?"

"You better hand over my badge then," Victor said as he pulled out a Pokéball. "Go Blastoise! We have a Dragon's Fang to get." He jumped on the turtle Pokémon's back with his kids running up towards the shoreline. He stretched his arms out, telling them to jump towards him. Lyra went first with Gill following behind.

With his kids there, Victor had Blastoise swim over towards the entrance of the Dragon's Den to get the fang he needed.

* * *

Victor stood on top of Blastoise as his faithful Pokémon swam across the calm waters in the cave. The Dragon's Den was oddly creepy with several draconic figures on the walls. He caught sight of a few Pokémon hanging out by separate areas of the caves and hiding in the water, but none of them seemed like they would cause them any trouble. He wasn't so much concerned for his safety, but he was more worried for his kids who didn't have any Pokémon of their own to protect them.

He kept an eye on his kids, especially Gill who was too much like him for his own good. Gill had too much of an adventurous spirit that would get him in a lot of trouble here. Even right now, Gill was hanging off of Blastoise's neck, leaning over so that he was waving his little hand in the Pokémon's face.

"Stop that, Gill," said his father. "Blastoise needs to see where's going."

"Yes sir," Gill said as he straightened himself up.

Lyra started to laugh as she hung out next to her dad. She sat on his feet, her legs crossed as she looked out to the water. Victor checked on his daughter and saw a passive spirit within her. Next month, Lyra was going to begin her own Pokémon journey across Johto. Although, Kanto was his home region, Victor moved his family out of there because of all the bad things happening with Team Rocket running around. His wife, Molly, agreed with him and was currently waiting for them to get back to New Bark Town.

Gill would be following behind his sister in only three more years. Victor was worried about his son running off on his own, more so then he was with his own daughter. He knew Lyra would be good on her own, but Gill had him far more worried.

Speaking of worry, the water began to ripple just as a Gyarados rose up against them. The nasty, Water Pokémon with a vicious temper began to roar at them, leading to Gill and Lyra screaming at the top of their lungs. Victor reacted quickly as he threw a Pokéball out, causing his Scizor to come out to play.

The crimson colored, Bug Pokémon flew after Gyraados with his superior speed. "X-Scissor!" shouted Victor. Scizor followed his Trainer's command as he smashed the Water Pokémon with his fists. Gyarados went back down into the water, easily knocked out with a single hit.

Victor returned Scizor to his Pokéball as he told Blastoise to keep on swimming.

Lyra was calmer now, but Gill was still freaking out as he clung onto his dad's leg.

* * *

Blastoise went back into his Pokéball with Victor's command. A sigh escaped Victor as he turned to his kids who were standing by a shrine of some sorts. Both of them looked extremely bored when he began to explain to them the rules for this search for the Dragon's Fang as he handed Lyra a Pokéball.

"You two are going to stay here!" Victor said, sternly. "If you see any hostile, wild Pokémon, I want you to use Scizor to protect you. Don't do anything stupid. And no exploring, Gill. Understood?"

Lyra and Gill began to nod their heads. "Yes dad," the siblings said together.

Victor knew that his kids weren't probably going to heed his warning, but at least they would be protected with Scizor there. He told his kids that he would be back soon before going off to find this Dragon's Fang. He disappeared on another path that seemed to be promising to him as he tried to find the damn thing as quickly as possible so he could get that badge.

With their dad gone, Gill quickly went off into his adventure seeker mode. Lyra only rolled her eyes as she snatched her brother by the back of his overalls and dragged him down to the rocky ground. Gill landed with a thump and began to swat away his sister's hold on him.

"Let me go!" shouted Gill.

"You're going to get us in trouble," said Lyra. "Dad said to stay here so we're staying right here! I'm not getting grounded because of you."

"We're not going to get into trouble if dad never finds out," said Gill. "Besides, I just want to go inside the shrine! It looks really cool and spooky!"

Gill managed to break free and ran off to the shrine. Lyra scrambled to her feet, yelling at Gill as he ran off on his own. She started to chase after him, but the boy was always the better runner and Lyra hated to sweat. She just knew she was going to get chewed out by their dad if she didn't drag her brother back and fast.

But Gill was already at the shrine, pushing the doors open. He gasped with wonder as he entered the shrine with giant statues of Dragon-type Pokémon everywhere. He didn't even know what half of them were called, but figured that some of them were Legendary Pokémon too.

The boy found himself wandering down the path until he reached an open room where multiple, old men were standing around in a circle. The men wore matching, black robes with a dragon like face on their chests. Gill tensed up, realizing that he was going to be in big trouble soon. Soon after he realized this, Lyra showed up and already had her hands squeezing the life out of the boy's arms.

"Dad is going to kill you!" she said to him. "And I'm going to kill you too if I get in trouble because of you."

Lyra was already beginning to drag him out when the men stopped them. Lyra gulped, believing that they were going to be in big trouble. Gill was already freaking out as tears ran down his face and he nervously began to apologize to them.

"It is alright, child," said the leader of these men. "You are a very, curious boy. You are much like a little dragon." He touched the boy's forehead, smiling as he looked down at him. Gill began to calm down, but Lyra was still a little worried about where this was going. "Would you like to take a quick test to see if you're worthy of being a Dragon Tamer?"

"I haven't even studied," Gill said, softly.

The sages chuckled as their leader chuckled alongside them. He knelt down to the boy so that they were at eye level. "It's not a test you can study for," he said, still laughing a little. He calmed down though as he placed a hand over the boy's heart. "You must answer my questions with your heart. Would you like to take this test now?"

"Sure," Gill whispered, trying to feel a little confident with himself.

"Alright then. What are Pokémon to you?" the sage asked.

"My friends!" Gill said, happily. "Pokémon are my best friends."

"Good. Now, what helps you win battles?" asked the sage.

"I haven't been in any battles yet," Gill said, honestly, "but maybe it would be raising them with lots of love!"

"What kind of Trainers would you like to battle?" asked the sage.

"Anyone," said Gill.

"Now what is most important for raising Pokémon?" asked the sage.

"Love!" Gill said, smiling.

"This is the last question," said the stage. "Strong Pokémon, weak Pokémon, which is most important to you?"

"Both," Gill said, honestly to the sage. "Both can be good friends."

The sages turned to their leader, while the man straightened himself up and smiled. He began to walk away to a shrine of a great Dragon Pokémon. Gill and Lyra watched the man just as their father came running into the shrine. He was all sweaty and looked frantic as he carried a fang in his hands. He ran towards his children, yelling at them for running off the way they did, but the sages told him to be quite.

The head sage turned around with a Pokéball in his hands. He went over to the family and handed the Pokéball over to the boy with a smile on his face. "You have an exceptionally pure heart, which will make you an excellent Dragon Tamer and Pokémon Trainer," said the sage. "Take this Pokémon and raise her with plenty of love and care."

Gill nodded as he held onto the Pokéball, looking at it with much curiosity.

The sage looked up to Victor, bowing to him for a moment. "I see my granddaughter has proved to be troublesome for you as well," said the sage. He extended his hand out to the man with his smile growing broader. "Please, allow me to apologize on her stubborn behalf. Clair can still behave like a child sometimes."

"I understand," said Victor. "I got two kids of my own, as you can see." He accepted the sage's hand, shaking it with a firm grip. He returned his hand to his side with the other dropping down on Gill's shoulder. "They can be such a handful sometimes. My daughter is about to start her journey, but Gill still has a few years to go…I'm really worried about him."

"He'll be just fine," said the sage. "Now that he has Dratini looking out for him, he'll be just fine."

Gill opened the Pokéball with a Dratini coming out. The kids looked at the adorable, Dragon Pokémon with happy smiles on both of their faces. The Dratini instantly began to cuddle up against Gill, making cute noises as she quickly bonded with her Trainer.

Victor watched his son bond with his Pokémon, happy to see how quickly they bonded together. He looked back at the sage and was about to ask about what he was supposed to do with the Dragon's Fang. The sage was ready though as he went through his robes to pull out the Rising Badge that Clair should've gave him.

"I'm willing to guess that you have all eight badges of Johto," said the sage. Victor nodded his head as he graciously took the badge from the sage. He returned the Dragon's Fang to him, which he hid in his robes. "Now that you have all the badges, you are eligible to compete at the Indigo Plateau and challenge the Elite Four. I wish you the best of luck, Trainer."

"Thank you, sir," said Victor. "Lyra and Gill, let's go home now."

"Alright dad," said the kids.

Gill returned Dratini to her Pokéball with a smile. His new partner returned without any trouble and he began to follow his dad out of the shrine. First though, he thanked the sages for giving him his first Pokémon. The sages thanked the boy for gracing them with his pure heart as he left to rejoin his father and sister.

The sages continued to look at the boy's direction even though he was gone now.

"That boy will become a great Trainer," said one of the sages.

"He has a great deal of potential," said another sage.

"Yes, I will like to see him again once he's grown up," said the sages' leader.

The sages were all in agreement, while Gill and Lyra kept congratulating their father for earning his final Gym Badge.

* * *

END!

What do you think so far? Hit me up with a review.

For the next chapter, we got three years into the future OOOOOOOO! Due to new rules with the Pokemon League, a trainer can only begin their journey at the age of 13. Gill is finally of age now so he begins his journey in New Bark Town where he recieves his Starter Pokemon from Professor Elm, while encountering a mysterious stranger.


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I hope you all like this story. Let me know how you feel about it with your reviews! :]

**Chapter 1:**

In the three years after Victor Hart claimed his Rising Badge, Gill had finally become of age to begin his Pokémon journey. His thirteenth birthday had passed last week and he was officially done with school unless he decided to give up on his journey, which would not happen. Gill was excited about beginning his journey, about going out and meeting new Pokémon, and exploring the many mysterious that surrounded their world.

Well, he would be a lot more fascinated by it if he could just wake up.

Gill was snoozing away in bed back at his home in New Bark Town. Inside the house he had grown up in, the same bedroom on the second floor, Gill was sleeping in when he should be awake and active. Of course though, he was too busy dreaming about being a Pokémon Master instead of going out there and working on becoming one. The lazy boy of thirteen just kept snoozing away in his pillow that he hugged protectively.

It wasn't until Dratini forced her way out of her Pokéball did something happen. The two had formed a strong bond in the three years that they've been together. Dratini had learned by now that her Trainer could be lazy when it comes to waking up in the mornings so she needed to help him get out of bed. So Dratini went over to his bedside, pushing herself up onto the mattress, and began to peck away at his head with her nose.

"Dratini!" shouted the Dragon Pokémon.

Gill began to thrash around in his bed with Dratini responding quickly as she jumped off it. She crawled away, while Gill fell off his mattress and landed on his back. "Ow!" shouted the boy. "That hurt, Dratini! Do we really need to go through with this every morning?"

"Dratini!" the Pokémon said, firmly.

The young Trainer took that as a yes as he forced himself to get up from the floor. He ran his hands through his long, raven-colored hair that was tied into a ponytail, touching the upper part of his back. He took off the band that held it together to let his hair flow on its own. He was thinking about cutting it, but then again he thought that the long hair made him look cool.

Three years had changed the boy, physically at the very least. He had grown a lot and was now at five feet, three inches. He was still as skinny as a twig, but there were muscles developing on his body that showed he could carry himself around. His eyes still reflected the innocence of his heart, but they also spoke of the fire and determination that he possessed as well. The boy scratched at his smooth, flawless complexion that even his sister was jealous of.

Gill sent Dratini back into her Pokéball before getting ready for the day. His mind was still at a blank at what today was as he fished out a fresh pair of underwear from his dresser. He shrugged out of the pajamas he was wearing and changed into something a little more befitting of a young Pokémon Trainer.

"Oh crap!" Gill said, remembering it all. "Today is the day! Today is the day I finally get to go on my journey!"

The boy jumped around excitedly, while being ashamed at himself for even forgetting it for a moment. Finding the outfit he was looking for, Gill put on a black t-shirt with black, board shorts. He grabbed a red and yellow jacket, while fishing out a yellow and black hat that he put on his head. He quickly grabbed his yellow bag before making his way downstairs with Dratini's Pokéball in hand.

He ran down the stairs and made his way into the kitchen where he saw Lyra eating breakfast. In the three years that passed, Lyra had changed a lot too. At sixteen, she had grown out of her overalls and developed a more feminine appearance in the process. She wore blue shorts that cut off above her knees with a red sweater/shirt deal that looked awfully warm. Her brown hair was tied into several braids with colorful beads running along them too.

"Morning Gill," Lyra said without even turning back to look at her brother.

"Morning Lyra," Gill said as he joined her at the table. "Today's the big day!"

"I know," Lyra said, while finishing up her eggs. "You excited? Professor Elm says you should go to his lab by noon if you wanted to get started today."

Gill jumped up from the table and was about to make his leave to the famous, Pokémon Professor's lab. Professor Elm was a talented scientist in the Pokémon world who focused more on the evolutionary process of Pokémon. Gill liked the man and would sometimes little errands for him back when he was younger all around town. He got paid for it so it wasn't like he had anything to complain about.

When Gill looked up, he saw that it was his mother that had snatched him up. Molly Hart was a beautiful woman in her early thirties. She had long, brown hair, which explained where Lyra got it from, but she wore it long and freely like Gill did. She also had a slim figure, which was where Lyra and Gill got their shapes from, but their mother was strong despite her fragile appearance. Strong enough in fact that Molly was able to pull her thirteen year old son back and force him to sit down at the table.

Molly placed a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of him. Their mother was no pushover; she was the one who dealt with Lyra and Gill when they were growing up. "You can go see Professor Elm after you eat breakfast," she said to her son. "I don't want my baby boy to be starving in the woods, the first day of his journey. That reminds me, have you fed Dratini yet?"

Gill gulped as he took out the Pokéball to release his Pokémon. Dratini came out; looking annoyed at Gill for not feeding her already, but Molly took care of that. She had a special dish of Pokémon food ready to go, which she fed to the little Pokémon. Dratini looked grateful as she began to eat her own breakfast.

"By the way, Gill," his mother said as she went towards the living room, "you're Pokégear is back from Silph Co. I already programmed our numbers for you." His mother handed the blue device over to him, which Gill quickly put in his pocket. He thanked his mom for going through the trouble of having it fixed before quickly inhaling his breakfast.

Lyra chuckled at her brother as she leaned back, drinking the rest of her orange juice. "Easy there, baby bro," she said, while he attacked his food like a madman. "Give yourself time to breathe between bites otherwise you'll start choking again. Remember what happened at the banquet where dad was crowned Pokémon Champion?"

Gill stopped eating so fast, dropping his fork back onto the plate. He gulped at the memory of that night where he nearly choked to death and embarrassed his dad when he launched the food at the Pokémon League Chairman. "Right," Gill said, slowing down now. "Wouldn't want a repeat of that to happen."

"Of course not," said Lyra. "When you're done seeing Professor Elm, I'll give you some pointers about being a trainer, from the best of course!"

Lyra's wink made Gill roll his eyes at his sister. He had just finished the last of his food and was going to the sink to wash his dishes when he finally got the nerve to say something. "That's coming from the girl who gave up on becoming a Master," he said, loudly. "Didn't you quit after getting only like two Gym Badges, saying it was too much work and boring?"

"I never wanted to be a Pokémon Master!" Lyra quickly defended herself. "I just want to raise Pokémon and have fun doing it! Do you want my help or not, butt head?"

"Sure I do," Gill said, sarcastically. He returned from the kitchen and picked Dratini up now that she was done with her breakfast. He held onto his Pokémon carefully, while smiling at his family, minus his father. "Well, I'm off to Professor Elm's lab. I'll see you all in a little while."

"Bye," his mother and sister said together.

Gill walked out of the house with Dratini in his arms, embracing the windy elements as he went to Professor Elm's lab.

* * *

The crisp air of New Bark Town invigorated Gill as he walked down the road to Professor Elm's lab. He still carried Dratini in his arms, which she preferred since she wasn't a fan of crawling around on her own. If there was no body of water around her then you'd better lock her up in her Pokéball if you didn't want to carry her. Gill didn't mind though, Dratini was his first Pokémon so she was his best friend and that was all that mattered.

So as Gill kept walking down the path, he could already see the roof of Elm's house coming closer. The home that his wife and son lived in was above the lab that Professor Elm spent most of his life in. Gill wouldn't be surprised to see Elm busy with some type of project whenever he'd finally walk into it.

As he got closer to the lab, Gill began to feel that something was a little off. He didn't want to risk it so he returned Dratini so that he could snoop around easier. He began to sneak off into the trees that were around the lab and got closer to the building and this strange figure he kept catching glimpses of.

The figure that Gil was tracking turned out to be another boy. This boy had long, red hair that touched his shoulders and the black jacket he was wearing. Red lines raced all over his jacket with his hands covered by black gloves, his legs encased in dark, blue cargo jeans that fit him a little tight, and a pair of black sneakers to top it all off. The whole outfit was a little tight on his lean figure, but Gill found himself blushing a little as he got closer towards the boy.

The stranger was looking through Elm's lab from a window around the back of the building. He looked very suspicious just snooping around like that, but Gill would probably look suspicious to someone else too. Deciding to act out on his instincts, Gill snuck up on the boy to get down to the bottom of this mystery.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gill shouted at him.

A fist flew swung around and nearly hit Gill, but the boy responded quickly enough. Gill managed to push his body back before the fist hit his jaw. A sigh escaped Gill, but he found himself losing his breath for a second as he got a good look at the stranger.

This mysterious boy gave Gill the look of death when their eyes met. Gill met those gray colored eyes with wonder, lost for a moment as he examined the stranger. The boy was defiantly older than him and easily looked like he could take him down without any trouble. There was muscle buried underneath the jacket that showed his strength with his red bangs casting a shadow on his forehead.

Gill was lost for a moment, but the boy snapped him out of it with a quick shove. Gill fell down to the ground and landed on his butt with his teeth shattering on impact. The mysterious boy had a violent temper apparently that frightened Gill a little as he looked up to those gray eyes.

The mysterious boy looked into Gill's hazel eyes, piercing that innocent heart with his glare. It disgusted him and he could just smell the weakness that was all over the boy. "Stay out of my way," he hissed, simply. "Don't think just because you're a kid that I won't hurt you if you get in my way."

This conversation ended as the boy ran off to the woods, running to someplace to hide now that he was spotted.

Gill felt himself shaking a little as he struggled to get up. He had no idea what had just happened to him other then he nearly got his ass kicked by some handsome guy. He shook his head as he wondered where that thought came from. Why in the hell would he think that someone who was attacking him would be handsome?

"I should just get going to Elm's lab," Gill said, shaking out the memory of the weird boy.

* * *

Gill wandered into the lab of Professor Elm, looking around at all the familiar science junk. After all these years of helping the professor out, Gill still didn't understand half the things he did with all these gadgets nor did he really care. Science was never his forte and he'd much rather just train Pokémon instead of doing research on them. That's something that he would excel in and could do properly.

He whistled his way into the lab as he kept his eyes open for the professor. He would call out for the professor every now and again, but he wouldn't get any response from him, which made the boy wonder if something happened. He placed his hands on his waist, shouting Professor Elm's name again, but still failed to get any response anywhere from the lab.

"Where is he?" Gill asked, slowly getting annoyed by this.

It was barely eleven-thirty that was thirty minutes earlier then the latest he could show up. If that old guy thinks he could get away with pushing back his Pokémon journey then he had another thing coming. Gill wandered into the back of the lab and eventually caught sight of the professor asleep on his research notes. When Gill saw this, he began to sigh and shake his head at the snoozing professor.

This wasn't the first time this happened, nor would it be the last. Professor Elm was notorious for crashing out in the lab because he was so busy with his research. There was one time he didn't leave the lab for a week because of some big discovery he was on the verge of making. Gill Hart though wasn't about to let Professor Elm get away with sleeping on the job though, not when he was supposed to begin his journey.

So being a little sneaking, Gill grabbed one of the larger texts from the bookshelf. He slowly began to approach the sleeping professor then dropped the text onto the table that he was sleeping on. The loud crash and shaking caused Elm to panic as he shot up from his chair, nearly falling off it in the process.

"Good afternoon, Professor Elm," Gill said, innocently enough. "Lyra told me that you wanted to see me?"

Professor Elm composed himself, fixing his wrinkled up labcoat as he did so. His entire outfit was completely wrinkled up, which made Gill wonder how long the professor was here this time. The blue, long sleeve and green khakis looked at least a day old if not two. Gill was just grateful that the professor didn't smell bad like the time he was locked up in here for a week. It was Gill that had to drag the professor out of there only because Mrs. Elm begged him to do so.

"Oh, Gill, good you're here!" the professor said, shaking himself awake. "I know you're beginning your Pokémon journey today so I think it's time to give you your official Starter Pokémon."

"Cool!" Gill said, smiling. "So who can I chose from?"

Professor Elm walked over towards a special machine that housed two Pokéballs. Gill followed behind him, looking at each of the balls with curiosity. One was marked with the symbol for Fire-type Pokémon, the other for Water-types. "Well, as you know, Johto Trainers have the option of having one of three Starter Pokémon," said the professor. "Your sister already claimed Chikorita, a Grass-type, as her partner, three years ago, so there's two options left for you. You can either chose Cyndaquil the Fire-type or Totodile the Water-type."

Gill went over to the machine, examining both Pokéballs carefully. He figured that he would have to chose between one of the two from what Lyra told him ages ago. He was a little surprised though that the professor never got a new Chikorita to replace the one Lyra got, but oh well.

He already knew which one had wanted though. He had been planning the perfect partner for him since he was ten. "I choose Cyndaquil!" the boy said, happily. He reached into the machine and grabbed the Pokéball with the Fire-type symbol on it. He peeled the sticker off of it and held the device up so to release the Pokémon from his confinement.

A white blast escaped the Pokéball as Cyndaquil was free to stretch his body. The fire mouse gave out a cute squeak with the flames on his back growing for a moment before calming back down. The Pokémon looked up to Gill with a curious look on his face before walking over to his Trainer.

Gill dropped down to his knees and stretched his arms out to his new Pokémon. He felt as happy as the day that the sages gave him his Dratini. This was a special moment for him, one that he would remember for the rest of his life. "Hey little guy," Gill said to his new friend. "I'm Gill, your Trainer. You and I are going to best friends, right?"

"Cyndaquil!" the Pokémon said, happily. He ran over to his Trainer and nuzzled up against him, which made Gill laugh. The boy took out another Pokéball and let Dratini out so that the two could meet. Cyndaquil took a good look at her with Dratini doing the same. For a moment it didn't look good, but the two Pokémon quickly rushed up towards each other, talking their Pokémon language like good old friends.

Professor Elm applauded them as he knelt down to take a good look at them. "Well, those two look like they'll be good friends," he said, calmly. "It looks like you're ready to start your journey, but before you go off I need you to run a final errand for me. If that's alright with you, Gill?"

"Sure professor, what is it?" Gill asked.

"I need you to go to Mr. Pokémon's house," said the professor. "He lives past Cherrygrove City in a small house. He has something for me that I need you to bring back to the lab. Do you think you can handle that?"

"That's an easy job!" Gill said, bouncing back on his feet. "With Cyndaquil and Dratini with me then I'll be back in no time flat!"

Gill sent both Pokémon back into their Pokéballs, but Cyndaquil broke back out. The professor says that he needs to spend a little more quality time with his Trainer so Gill just let him stay out to hang with him. The professor reminded Gill to go see his mother first though before he left town to say his goodbyes to her.

Gill agreed as he said bye to Professor Elm and made his way back home.

* * *

The doors closed behind him as he stepped out and Gill was surprised to see Lyra standing right there.

Lyra had her hands on her hips with a cheerful smile on her face. Chikorita was by her side, running up to Cyndaquil as soon as she saw him. Lyra didn't bother to call her back as she just let her Pokémon run a little wild for a moment.

"Cute Pokémon, baby bro," said Lyra. "Are you ready for those tips now?"

"Yeah, but are they going to actually be useful to me?" teased Gill.

Lyra just laughed as she smacked her brother's shoulder. She just shook her head at him before dragging him a few feet away from the lab. "Keep it up, boy, and I'll just have to kick your ass one of these days," she said to him. She grabbed two Pokéballs from her pocket and handed them over to Gill. He took them out of instinct, but didn't know what Lyra's point was. "You probably already know this, but just to make sure, the Pokémon League changed the rules about how many Pokémon you can carry on your team. Now, a Trainer is allowed to carry up to seven Pokémon with them. Let me show you how to use your Pokégear too while I'm at it."

The next five minutes were spent with Lyra teaching Gill all the simple basics of being a Trainer. On his map, she showed him where each Gym was located so he knew where to go on his journey. She also reminded him to be careful while he was out there on his own and to spend the night at Pokémon Centers if there wasn't anywhere else safe to stay.

With all of that done, Lyra told him that the two Pokéballs were for him to keep in order to catch some.

"Good luck with the journey, little bro," said Lyra. "I'm going back to Goldenrod City. You should come see me whenever you're in town."

"I will," Gill said, nodding his head. "Did you already tell mom you were leaving?"

"Yup!" Lyra said, cheerfully. "You better make sure you say goodbye to her before leaving! You know she'll have a heart attack if you ditch before then. See ya later, Gill!"

"Bye Lyra," said the boy.

His sister walked away with Chikorita running after her. The two eventually disappeared from sight once they were passed the town gate. He gave off a soft sight before turning back around and telling Cyndaquil to follow him as he went back to his house.

Now it was time to say goodbye to a soon to be hysterical mother.

* * *

It took about five minutes for Gill to get back home. The boy entered his home and called out to his mom, giving her the good news about his visit to Professor Elm. Molly Hart came in from the kitchen and looked at her son and his new Pokémon companion as she did so. A joyous smile was present on her face as she went up to him with Cyndaquil quickly making his way towards her

Molly bent over to pick the little guy up and held him in her eyes. "Oh, he is simply adorable!" she said, smiling. "It reminds me of when your father's Blastoise was just a little Squirtle back when he first started his Pokémon journey."

"You and dad knew each other way back then?" asked Gill.

"Yes, honey," his mother said as she handed Cyndaquil back to him. "Did you forget that your father and I are from Pallet Town? We grew up next door to each other for years. I remember your father hewn he was your age and just starting his journey. He was so excited yet scared all at the same time."

His mother gave off a sad sigh as she went into the living room. Gill followed her there with Cyndaquil in his arms. His mother sat down on the sofa and looked over to their famous wall of pictures. On the wall were pictures of their family through the ages. There were pictures of when Lyra and Gill were babies; their parents' wedding picture was there as well, a picture of his father being crowned Pokémon Champion of Johto, and a picture of their parents back when they were young.

"You're so much like your father, Gill," said Molly. "Promise me that you'll be careful during your journey? If you ever get tired, lost, or just give up then come home."

"I'll come home all the time, mom," Gill said, trying to cheer her up. "You'll get sick of me just like you do with Lyra! And dad should be coming home soon too right? He's almost done with his assignment for the Pokémon League, right?"

"Hopefully he will be back soon," corrected Molly.

After his victory at the Indigo Plateau, Victor was the Regional Champion for a year and served as the final test for Trainers. He eventually stepped down though and gave up his official title to another Trainer so that he could spend more time with his family. He got a job with the League though, doing random assignments for them time to time for a hefty sum. It would take him away from home for a couple of weeks, but he never disappeared more than four or five times a year so it was never a big deal.

Now though, Molly would be all alone in the house with Gill gone. He wasn't too worried about his mom though because Lyra always came home from time to time. He would make sure to do the same thing, especially whenever dad wasn't home. Besides, his mother still had her Pokémon: Aipom, Sentret, and Natu to keep her company at least.

What Gill needed to do was to break this awkward silence and leave on a good foot. Gill got up from his spot on the couch and kissed his mom on the cheek. "I'll miss you, mommy," he said, softly. Cyndaquil was fusing around in his arms so he put him down on the floor so he could walk around on his own. "I'll come home soon, I promise."

"I know you will, honey," Molly said, while smiling. "I have something I need to give you before you leave though." She left the sofa and went to a drawer behind the sofa. She unlocked it with a key, taking something out of there which she handed over to Gill. When he examined it, he was surprised to see the wad of cash inside of it. "Your father and I have been saving money for you since Lyra left. We gave her plenty of money to start off with and we knew it would only be fair to do the same for you. Use that money to take care of your Pokémon and keep yourself fed though! Don't blow it on anything stupid."

"Thanks mom!" Gill said, hugging her once he hid the money in his pocket. "Don't worry, I'm better with money then Lyra is! I'm very responsible."

"Sure you are, Gill," his mother said, laughing. "Go on, honey. Have fun and be safe. If you're lucky enough, you might run into your father in Violet City."

"Maybe I will!" said the boy as he made his way out of the house. "Bye mom. I'll see you soon."

"Goodbye Gill," Molly said as she shed a tear for her son.

Gill walked out of the house with a smile on his face and his Pokémon by his side.

* * *

The walk out of town didn't take him too long, but it was long enough to make some ants grow in his pants.

Gill finally made it past the town gate and looked out to Route 29 with a smile on his face. Cyndaquil huddled up against Gill's leg as he took looked out where their journey would begin. With confidence and faith at his side, Gill began to take his first steps forward to begin his journey across Johto.

"We'll be the champs of Johto, just you wait, Cyndaquil," laughed Gill. "Do you think we'll make it to the top?"

"Cynda!" the Pokémon said, excitedly.

"That's right!" Gill cheered. "I just know that we'll make it! We'll be an unstoppable team powered by friendship!"

Those were the words that Gill swore by for his journey. Every Pokémon he came across would always be treated as his equal no matter how weak or strong they were. He would be the best of friends with each and every one since he understood that friends were his power. All his Pokémon would help him to reach the top, but they could only achieve this if they worked together.

So Gill pushed himself onward, passing the gate that welcomed them to New Bark Town.

As Gill took his first steps into the beginning of his journey, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He paused only for a moment and turned his head to the side where he saw the boy from earlier running into town. The mysterious boy with red hair was running through the trees with a shadow behind him.

Pushing himself to see a little clearer, Gill eventually made out that the shadow was a Pokémon. It was a small one with dark skin, sharp claws, and a feather on top of its head. Gill wasn't sure what Pokémon that was, but he knew that if it was a friend of the mysterious boy that this could be trouble.

Gill shook his head though, thinking he was reading too much into this.

"I'm probably just too paranoid," the boy said to himself. "He's probably just training his Pokémon. He's not up to anything bad."

Gill forgot about the boy and his Pokémon so he could begin his journey with Cyndaquil and Dratini.

His first stop would be at Cherrygrove City to get that delivery for Professor Elm!

* * *

END!

On the next chapter, Gill makes it to Cherrygrove City and finds Mr. Pokemon only to get a bigger surprise. However, as he returns to New Bark Town, he learns of a thief's attack on Professor Elm's lab and he encounters the mysterious boy from earlier!


	3. Chapter 2

Author's Note: WOOO! Here is another fun filled chapter for all you good boys and girls. I worked hard on this so you'd better appreciate it! haha. Anyways, send me some pretty reviews. I need to know how well I'm writing this and if I continue to meet all your Pokemon neeeeeds! And yes...I'm just plain needy. Haha. Well, read and review kiddies!

**Chapter 2:**

Gill and Cyndaquil made their way down Route 29, keeping their eyes open for anything as they began their journey together. They happily made their way on to Cherrygrove City to get that delivery for Professor Elm from Mr. Pokémon. The boy wondered just what the delivery was and why it seemed too special to the professor. Over a million possibilities whirled through his mind as he walked mindlessly onward with Cyndaquil following him.

As the two made their way down the long road, Gill caught sight of a few Pokémon running off in the trees. Gill recognized a Sentret and Rattata easily enough, but a few others weren't that easy for him to distinguish. All he knew was that he wanted to capture each one of them whenever he got the chance.

He figure he'd worry more about capturing Pokémon after he got Elm's delivery. That was a little more important than him capturing all the wild Pokémon he could get his hands on. He was too excited though about his journey that he ended up walking in the wrong direction for a few minutes. He ended up going into the direction of Route 46 until the Pokégear notified him of that with the map feature.

"Oops!" Gill said, taking a sharp turn back towards Cherrygrove City.

Cyndaquil only shook his mousy head as he followed his Trainer. The Pokémon already had a feeling that they were going to get lost plenty of times with Gill leading the way.

They kept on going until they heard something above them. Gill stopped walking and looked up to see something flying after them. He quickly grabbed Cyndaquil and took a step to the side, avoiding whatever it was that was flying after them. Gill gasped as he realized that they were attacked by a wild Pidgey. The wild Pidgey attacked them, flapping his wings to blow them back with a Gust attack.

Gill protected himself and Cyndaquil from the wind attack. The wind cracked against his back, sending him down to his knees with Cyndaquil wiggling out of his Trainer's arms. The Fire-type Pokémon gave out a little battle cry before Pidgey gave off a Growl. That weakened Cyndaquil's attack power, but he encounter by using a scary Leer to weaken Pidgey's defense.

"Go far it, Cyndaquil!" Gill said, cheering his Pokémon on. "Hit him with a Tackle!"

Cyndaquil obeyed his Trainer's command and went for it. The fire mouse jumped at the tiny bird, crashing into it and knocking it down to the ground. The Pidgey gave off a weak cry as it landed; looking like it was lost in a daze, which gave Gill an idea.

Pulling a Pokéball out from his pocket, Gill would attempt to capture his first Pokémon. The boy smirked as he tossed the capturing device at the Pidgey. The ball hit the Pokémon with Cyndaquil keeping his distance as they watched the Pidgey being captured. The Pokéball fell to the ground, twitching as the Pidgey tried to fight to break free. However, the ball stopped moving and a red light went off to signal that the Pokémon was caught.

Gill cheered with joy as he ran up to pick up the Pokéball into the air.

"I caught my first Pokémon!" he screamed for joy.

"Cyndaquil!" cheered his Starter Pokémon.

* * *

The celebration of his first captured Pokémon died out when Gill and Cyndaquil finally made it to Cherrygrove City. The boy looked around, seeing Cherrygrove City in a completely different light now that he was here on his Pokémon journey. The once quite, sleepy down now represented the first steps in his journey to become a Pokémon Master.

Although there wasn't a Gym here, this was the town he needed to be in to help Professor Elm. Well, Gill needed to go a little further north into Route 30 to reach the home of Mr. Pokémon. That was no big deal to him since he still had about five hours until it reached evening. It took only an hour to get here walking, it shouldn't take him longer than half an hour to reach Mr. Pokémon's house, according to the professor's calculations.

Gill sent Cyndaquil back into his Pokéball, saying he didn't want the little guy to get lost. His Pokémon returned without giving him much sass, which Gill meant he was becoming a good Trainer. So with that done, the boy began to make his way towards the nearest Pokémon Center to get his team all healed up, especially their newest addition. His poor Pidgey would no doubt be sore from the fight that led to his capture.

But as Gill neared the red-roofed Pokémon Center, an old man got in his way. The man's sudden presence nearly scared Gill half to death as he initially prepared to throw one of his Pokémon out to attack. That shock passed though so he was able to deal with the man calmly and rationally.

"Yes sir?" Gill said, sounding very unsure. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I'm good, young man," said the old man. "Let me guess though. You've just began your Pokémon Journey! Am I right?"

Gill nodded his head, slowly to answer the old man's question. "I just started today," the boy said. "I following in my dad's footsteps, trying to become a Pokémon Master."

"You have a long way to go before you can see that come true," said the old man. "Don't worry though; you just might make it with enough determination! Here, let me help you show you around some common sights that you'll see on your journey."

The old man gave Gill a quick tour of Cherrygrove City, giving a few details that Gill found to be fairly pointless. He already knew about the significance of a Pokémon Center and a Poké Mart. That was a waste of his time until the old man pointed out the body of water in the distance. He explained that only a Pokémon who knew Surf could venture on an open body of water with their Trainer. Until he learned that move, Gill was strictly a land-lover.

Gill followed the old man to a small house towards the path to Route 30. The old man thanked Gill for his company before going inside the house to retrieve something. "You're shoe size is about seven or eight?" the old man asked as he returned. The boy said eight, which seemed to work for the old man. He came back out with a shoebox, which he handed over to Gill. "Take these Running Shoes, they'll help speed your journey up a little. I used to work at the Devon Corporation in the Hoenn Region, I left with several pairs of these. Take them as a gift."

"Oh wow!" Gill said, happily as he looked down at his old, running shoes. "Thank you very much, sir!"

"You're welcome. Good luck with your journey, young man," the old man said as he closed the door.

Gill quickly put on his new shoes, smiling as he looked down at them. The yellow and black Running Shoes complemented his outfit just nicely, which made it even better then he thought. Gill cheered a little as he quickly ran to the Pokémon Center as the compressed air went off to give him a quick burst of speed. He greatly appreciated the old man's gift as he made it to the center in no time flat.

He walked in, making his way to the counter where a Nurse Joy was present. The fair-skinned, pink haired nurse appeared with a Chansey by her side. She graciously took Gill's Pokémon and saw that they only needed a quick treatment that would only take about ten minutes. So he waited the ten minutes until his Pokémon were returned to him and thanked Nurse Joy as he made his way out of the center.

* * *

Following the path, while running at blinding speeds, Gill finally reached Route 30 in no time flat.

A soft sigh escaped him as he checked the time and saw that he was an hour behind what he wanted to be. Oh well though, he needed to take his Pokémon to the Center and he caught a cool pair of running shoes from the old man. Granted, his encounter with the old man was possibly the strangest thing to happen to him in his life. Well, not including with his violent encounter two hours ago with that psycho boy.

Either way, Gill knew that with these shoes though that he could make up for most of the time. Besides, it's not like Violet City was going to disappear on him. He would get to battle his first Gym Leader soon enough.

Right now, he needed to focus on helping Professor Elm.

So that's what started him running like a madman up Route 30.

The run through the grassy Route 30 felt exhilarating for Gill as he made his way down to Mr. Pokémon's house. A smile grew on his face as he easily moved through the grass and dodged out of the way of any obstacle. He was amazed at just how fast the Running Shoes were; now feeling a little stupid for not begging his dad to get them sooner.

Gill ran up the road with the map function beeping to alert him that he was near his destination. He checked the time and saw that he was back on schedule thanks to the speed boost that his shoes gave him. He kept his eyes focused on the path though since he needed to do some quick maneuvering to avoid crashing into the trees. He jumped out of the way of a tree branch, landing perfectly on his feet as he reached a small house in the middle of the woods.

A sigh escaped Gill as he cooled it down and approached the home of Mr. Pokémon with care.

The boy knocked on the door then waited for a response from its inhabitants. He knocked again to make sure they heard him, which led to him getting yelled at. "I'm coming already! Hold your Ponyta!"

The door opened with an older gentleman stepping out. The man wore a dark, brown suit to cover his figure, he had a small mustache and beard growing, and his balding, gray head was exposed to the young Trainer. "What is it, young man?" said the old man.

"I'm here to pick up a delivery for Professor Elm from Mr. Pokémon," Gill said, calmly.

"Ah!" the old man said with gusto. "You must be Gill Hart. Yes, Professor Elm told me that you were on your way. Come on in, boy." He gestured the boy to enter the house, which the boy did without being told twice. The man closed the door and led the boy inside to the quant living room. "I'm Mr. Pokémon, Gill. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Professor Elm and your father have told me so much about you."

Gill turned around to face the old man, the faint look of shock on his face. "You know my father?" the boy asked. He never realized just how popular his father was. Then again, Victor Hart was a well-known Pokémon Champion.

"Yes I do," said Mr. Pokémon. "I met him through the good professor. Now, let me get you the delivery so that you can be on your way."

Mr. Pokémon left the room for a moment, going down the hall into another room. Gill sat down on the couch for a moment to rest his tired legs before he'd have to run back all the way to New Bark Town. That was at least going to take him another two hours! He didn't want to blow his parents' money already to pay for a cab either.

As Gill was busy drifting off to his realm of thoughts, Mr. Pokémon returned with another man following behind him. Gill immediately jumped to his feet in recognition of the man. The other man looked about as old as Mr. Pokémon with the exception of a few wrinkles and having a full head of hair. This man wore a yellow coat with a white shirt and tan pants.

Gill didn't pay attention to the case that Mr. Pokémon carried in his arms, nor did he really care at the moment.

"Hello, Gill," said the other older man, "I'm Professor Samuel Oak."

"I know who you are, sir," Gill said, quickly bowing in recognition. "It's such an honor to meet you, sir! I always listen to your radio program and read the journals you have published in 'Young Trainer', sir."

Professor Oak and Mr. Pokémon got a chuckle out of Gill. The good professor took pity on the boy, telling him to stop calling him sir. "Just feel free to call me professor," said Oak. "Now, my colleague here has informed me that you've just begun your Pokémon Journey, is that correct?"

"Yes, professor," Gill said. "I just started today."

"That's excellent," said Professor Oak. "I have something that every Trainer should have, which is something you cannot survive without. Trust me; the Trainers that started with me learned this the hard way." He dug through the pocket of his coat, retrieving a red device. It sort of looked like a palm-pilot or something that looked about the size of Gill's hand. Professor Oak handed it over to Gill, which he accepted quickly enough. "That is a Pokédex. It is an encyclopedia of information on Pokémon. It is a valuable asset for a Trainer to have, but it can be very dangerous if used for the wrong reasons."

Gill nodded his head as he put the Pokédex in his pocket. He would play with it after he returned to town with Professor Elm's delivery. "Thank you, professor!" Gill said, happily. "I promise I'll keep the Pokédex safe."

"I hope you'll keep this safe as well," Mr. Pokémon said as he placed the case on the couch. He untwisted it to free whatever it was that was inside. Gill peered a little closer since his curiosity got the better of him as the old man retrieved a white egg with blue and red squares on it. "This is a Pokémon Egg, young Gill. Inside this egg is a baby Pokémon." He handed the egg over to Gill, which the boy carefully placed inside of his backpack for safe keeping. "All Pokémon hatch from eggs and I thought it would help Professor Elm with his research on evolution. I trust that you'll bring it to him in one piece."

"Of course, sir!" Gill promised. "I'll get it to him as soon as possible."

Gill turned as if he was about to leave, but something stopped him from moving. He turned back around and looked at Professor Oak, a question obviously burning in his eyes. Professor Oak saw this so he probed Gill into sharing it with him.

"Professor Oak, do you remember my father?" asked Gill. "He started as a Trainer in Pallet Town. His name is Victor Hart."

"Victor Hart?" Professor Oak repeated. He retreated in his mind, scanning through all of his memories of Trainers. A smile crept up his face as the memories returned to him in an instant. "Ah, Victor! I remember him now. Yes, I gave your father his first Pokémon. He wanted to start with the Water-type Squirtle, he claimed it was his favorite Pokémon. Ah, now I have very high expectations of you now, Gill. I wonder if you can become a stronger Trainer then your father is now."

"Only time will tell, right professor?" asked Gill.

Professor Oak and Mr. Pokémon nodded their heads as they sent Gill off to take the Pokémon Egg to Professor Elm.

Gill ran out of the house, already on his way back to New Bark Town.

* * *

Gill didn't make it that far on his way to Cherrygrove City though when his Pokégear began to go off. He stopped running, only a mile away from the gate, to answer the phone call he was receiving. He flipped the lid open and held it up to his ear to answer the call from Professor Elm.

"Yes professor?" Gill said.

"There's an emergency, Gill!" shouted Professor Elm. "Someone has stolen the Totodile from my lab! I sent Officer Jenny to Cherrygrove City to meet you at the Pokémon Center. You need to come back immediately!"

"I'm already on my way back, professor," Gill told the professor. "I have the delivery with me and I'll keep my eyes open for anyone suspicious."

"Be very careful, Gill," said the professor. "We don't know what this thief is capable of."

Gill hung up on the professor and quickly ran back to Cherrygrove City to see if he can catch sight of anyone suspicious. He already had a good feeling that he knew who the thief was so he was going to keep his eyes peeled.

That mile into town was nothing to him.

His first stop was the town gate that led to New Bark Town. The young Trainer ran at full speed just as he caught sight of someone coming. He immediately took action, grabbing Dratini's Pokéball and holding it up to prepare for an incoming fight.

Just as he thought, Gill found himself locking eyes from the boy that he encountered earlier at Professor Elm's lab. Following behind the mysterious boy was a dark-furred Pokémon with sharp looking claws. Gill quickly used his Pokédex to scan the Pokémon, learning that it was the Ice-type Sneasal.

The nameless boy stopped running and glared at Gill with Sneasal joining him. "I'm guessing they sent a punk like you to stop me," he said, laughing. "How pathetic. They send a weakling like you to stop someone as tough as I am. Don't they understand, I'll make the Totodile stronger then he'll ever be with some wimpy Trainer!"

"I knew it was you!" Gill said. "I'll stop you though and bring Totodile back home where he belongs! Go Dratini!" Gill threw his Pokéball, releasing his Pokémon from her confinements. Dratini gave out a little battle cry as she slithered in front of her Trainer.

"Then you're just going to have to battle me for him," said the nameless boy. "Sneasal, show this brat what we do to those who get in our way!" The Sneasal nodded his head as he jumped in front of his Trainer. He raised his claws up, smirking at Dratini as he summed the Dragon-type up. "Take them both down, Sneasal! Hit them with a Quick Attack!"

Sneasal obeyed his Trainer's command and moved quicker then Gill or Dratini could. The Ice-type knocked Dratini in the face with his claw fist. Dratini went flying back across the gate, towards Gill. The boy was about to go up to his Pokémon, but Dratini quickly got back up.

Despite this being their first battle, Dratini wasn't about to give up, which is what Gill liked to see.

"Alright, Dratini!" said Gill. "Let's see you use Wrap!"

"Quick Attack again, Sneasal!" shouted the nameless boy.

"Dratini, switch it up for an ExtremeSpeed!

Sneasal was moving after Dratini with remarkable speed, but was in for a big surprise. Dratini sprang herself up into the air and moved faster than Sneasal as she used her attack. She crashed into the Ice-type, pinning it down to the ground for a moment before jumping off.

Gill and the nameless boy watched as Sneasal slowly began to get back on his feet.

The nameless boy growled as he issued another command to his Pokémon. "You'd better not let this weak brat beat you!" ordered his Trainer. "Finish them both with an Icy Wind!"

"Use Twister, Dratini!"

Dratini laid back and raised up her tail, spinning it around for a moment. Sneasal took in a cold breath of air before blowing back snowy crystals. Dratini generated a twister that she flung after the cold winds that Sneasal had breathed out. Their command attacks cancelled each other out, but not before creating a ripple effect that sent them both flying.

Dratini and Sneasal landed on opposite ends of the road, both looking as if they couldn't battle for a moment longer.

"Return!" shouted their Trainers as they held up a Pokéball.

The two Pokémon returned to their Pokéballs. Gill thanked his Dratini for her hard work, while the nameless boy merely yelled at his Sneasal for failing. They both swapped those Pokéball for another one. Gill was certain that he knew what was coming and knew it would be stupid to do this, but he did it anyways.

"Go Cyndaquil!" shouted Gill.

"Go Totodile!" shouted the boy.

The two Starter Pokémon that used to belong to Professor Elm sprang up on their battlefield. Cyndaquil created fiery spikes form his back, while Totodile merely began to dance around before the nameless boy yelled him. The poor Totodile seemed to think that the boy was funny though, which Gill thought to be very odd.

Totodile ran up to the thief and hugged his leg. The nameless boy growled as he pushed Totodile off of him, pushing him back in the direction of Cyndaquil. "Listen to me, runt!" he shouted at the Pokémon. "Take that Cyndaquil down no matter the cost! Now, use Scratch!"

"Use Tackle, Cyndaquil!" shouted Gill.

Cyndaquil and Totodile collided together in a moment. Cyndaquil rushed after Totodile for a nasty impact, only to get scratched by his sharp claws. Both suffered damage as they broke apart, Cyndaquil cried as Totodile rubbed his hurt tummy. The Pokémon snapped out of it though, both determined now to battle the other.

"Use Leer, Totodile!" shouted the nameless boy.

"Leer back at him, Cyndaquil!" shouted Gill.

Leer was used against both Pokémon, yielding nasty results for both Pokémon. The glare made both of the Starters screech out in fear as they ran off in the opposite direction. The boys sighed as they began to issue another round of commands, hoping that they'd be a little more effective then the last ones.

"Cyndaquil, use Ember!"

"Totodile, use Water Gun!"

A small breath of fire escaped Cyndaquil, while Totodile fired a blast of water. Their two attacks collided together, creating a wave of smoke that blinded both the boys. The Pokémon kept at it though for a moment, neither one wanting to yield to the other. Despite Totodile having the obvious type advantage, Cyndaquil wanted to prove how strong he was and beat the other Pokémon.

The smoke only grew wider and would've alerted more attention had a police siren not already went off. This made the nameless boy spring into action as he ended the battle by sending Totodile back into his Pokéball. The boy ran a hand through his red hair as he ran through the smoke cloud with Gill rushing right after him, tackling him down to the ground.

"Let Totodile go!" shouted Gill.

The thief only laughed as the sirens got louder. "Not a chance, kid," he said, smiling at him. He punched Gill in the ribs, forcing him to let go. Gill rolled off of the boy, clenching his side as Cyndaquil came running towards him. "We're too even in Pokémon battles for now, but don't forget that I'm stronger then you. If you're wise, you'll drop the hero act and go get some real strength.

Gill hissed at him as he pushed himself to lean up a little. His rib was still hurting him despite Cyndaquil's effort to nurse him with his cheerful cries. "Just who are you?" asked the younger boy. "Why are you doing this?"

"I can't tell you why," the thief said, "but you can call me Silver. See ya around, punk."

The boy named Silver ran off, leaving Gill on the ground as the sirens finally reached the young boy.

* * *

Officer Jenny kindly helped Gill into her sidecar with Cyndaquil sitting on his lap. The blue-haired officer rode her bike back towards New Bark Town, deciding to save the questions for until they reached New Bark Town. Gill had saved Silver's skin from getting chased by Officer Jenny simply because he wanted to get the jerk back on his own.

They arrived to Professor Elm's lab with Gill seeing that it was mildly trashed.

Professor Elm rushed over to Gill and quickly noticed that the boy was hurt. Officer Jenny assured the professor though that it was only a very mild injury and that he'd recover with a little bit of rest. "So, Gill," said Officer Jenny, "will you explain to me what happened? You said you were attacked by a Trainer with the stolen Totodile?"

"Yes, ma'am," Gill said as he sat down on a sofa beside Professor Elm. "He had a Sneasal with him as well, and he was pretty tough. I fought him to try to win the Totodile, but we were both too evenly matched. It was a tie, but I tackled him and he hit me in the rib so he could escape. I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough to stop him."

"It's alright, Gill," said Professor Elm. "You tried your best. I just wish you didn't try to fight this boy on your own. He sounds dangerous from your description of him. And you said he was snooping around my lab?"

"Yeah, but I didn't think much of it," said Gill. "I just thought he was curious about what you were doing. I know Lyra and I would use to spy on you when we were younger. But this is the oddest part…I think the Totodile likes him. Totodile wasn't afraid of him, he didn't even mind the verbal abuse while we were battling."

"Totodile has a curious nature," explained Professor Elm. "The poor thing must think of it all as a game."

"Well, there isn't much else I can do," said Officer Jenny. "I can inform the other officers across Johto about this, but the boy will be smart enough to avoid using Totodile in a public area at least until things die down. Gill, do you happen to know what the boy looks like?"

There were two things wrong with Gill as he looked up to Officer Jenny. He couldn't tell the officer about Silver simply because he didn't want the boy to get caught. One of the reasons why was because he wanted to battle him again. The other…the deep down dark part of him actually found himself attracted to Silver despite it being so wrong. The attraction would die out though, especially now that he's been hit by the boy twice. But the desire to battle him again was still there.

"No," Gill said, lying to the officer. "He wore a mask, but I could tell he was young. That's about it."

"That's going to make this investigation even more challenging for me," said Officer Jenny. "Professor Elm, I seriously suggest that you invest in on some security cameras. I've been telling you this for two years now. Ugh…oh well. I'll go make the report and send out some calls. You two be careful now."

"Thank you for everything, Officer Jenny," said Professor Elm.

Officer Jenny left the lab, leaving Gill alone with the professor.

Gill got up and took out the Pokémon Egg from his bag to finish the job for Professor Elm. The professor was in shock of this as he graciously accepted the egg from the boy. He held it up and seemingly forgot about the stolen Pokémon as he looked at the egg that contained a new life. It was enough to make an endless list of research possibilities for Professor Elm.

Elm repeatedly thanked Gill for everything, especially for trying to stop the thief.

Gill said it was no big deal as he said his final goodbyes to the professor. Gill turned away, swallowing down his shamefulness for helping a criminal. He would get Silver back though the next time they met, which would be soon if he had any say about it.

Gill left the professor's lab, deciding to skip going home since he knew him mom wouldn't let him back out into the world. So the boy pulled his red hood up and started to walk back out of town, the pain in his ribs nearly forgotten as he left the gate. He slowly walked back to Cherrygrove City, deciding that it would be best for him to stay at a Pokémon Center since it would be too late for him to walk towards Violet City.

And he was right though.

By the time that Gill finally returned to the city, it was already evening. He went over to the Pokémon Center to get his Pokémon healed for the night, while getting a bed for the night set up. He went over to the cafeteria to get some dinner before going to the second floor of the center to find his private bed and dropped down on his mattress.

Gill rested his head on the pillow, while holding up the Pokédex he received from Professor Oak. As he looked at it, he began to think about his father, the professor, and even Silver. "I'm not going to let you down, dad. I'll show you my potential, Professor Oak," whispered Gill. "Silver, I'll show you just how strong I can really be. You and I are rivals now, I won't lose to you ever again."

With that oath made, Gill closed his eyes and went to sleep.


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Hell Yeah! haha. I finished another awesome chapter for all my awesome fans. I hope you guys like this one. Just an FYI, starting in April, I'm going to begin my Power Rangers fan fic. So that means Pokemon will only get a twice a month update until I finish my Twilight fan fic...which won't be until August...maybe. Not too sure yet. Try not to hate me because I love you all soooooo much! That's it. Read and review.

**Chapter 3:**

When the first rays of morning came, Gill left the Pokémon Center to resume his journey across the Johto Region. He walked towards the town gate that led to Route 30. Before he left the city though, he made sure to check his map to be sure he knew exactly where he was going. He didn't want to get lost on his way to Violet City for his first Gym Battle.

Gill began to his journey north, walking across the grassy field with Cyndaquil joining him. The fire mouse kept walking beside his Trainer as they resumed their long journey. They stayed quiet for most of their walk, but Gill remained a little cautious of the wild Pokémon since his Pidgey had attacked them completely at random.

As they were walking uphill though, they immediately encountered a young boy with a Pokéball in hand. The kid was probably Gill's age, but looked significantly younger in his baseball cap, jean shorts, and a t-shirt. The boy sent a threatening glance over at Gill as he raised up the Pokéball at him.

"I challenge you to a Trainer Battle!" shouted the boy. "Two-on-two! Ready!"

"Hey, can I at least get a second to accept your challenge or not?" shouted Gill.

"You've already been challenged," said the boy. "There's no backing out now! Go Ratatta!" The kid threw the Pokéball, releasing a purple mouse Pokémon. Gill quickly scanned his info with the Pokédex and learned that it was a Normal-type.

Gill shrugged his shoulders as he looked down at Cyndaquil who sat beside him. "You want to take care of this one, buddy?" he asked. Cyndaquil nodded his head before immediately running to fill the gap between them. On the grassy field, the wind blew gently as the two Trainers prepared to do battle.

The kid told his Ratatta to use a Tackle attack, while Gill ordered Cyndaquil to dodge it. Cyndaquil followed the orders and avoided getting any unnecessary damage before getting told to use his own Tackle. He followed suit and knocked into the Ratatta, inflicting a good amount of damage on it.

"No!" shouted the kid. "Use Quick Attack!"

"Ratatta!" the Pokémon shouted as he sped across the field, crashing into Cyndaquil.

"Cynda!" cried Gill's Pokémon.

Cyndaquil went flying across the field since he took a critical hit from Ratatta's attack. Gill bit down on his lip, while noticing the other Trainer laughing at him. "Use Ember, Cyndaquil!" ordered Gill. Fire began to rise up from Cyndaquill's back before a small, fiery stream escaped his mouth.

The Ratatta didn't even know what was coming his way before it was too late. Cyndaquil quickly ended the first match with his Ember attack, sending the Ratatta into a knocked out state. The kid didn't like that one bit as he returned Ratatta to his Pokéball. He grabbed another Pokéball though and tossed it into the air, releasing a Pidgey.

Gill nodded his head as he returned Cyndaquil to his Pokéball and replaced him in favor of his own Pidgey. His Pidgey had yet to experience a Pokémon battle yet, so he figured that now was as good as a time as any. The creamy winged, little bird Pokémon flew up into the air and met up with his counterpart in the process.

The enemy Pidgey flapped his wing at Gill's Pidgey, which the Pokémon took offense too.

"Use Tackle!" shouted the kid.

"Knock him back with a Gust!" ordered Gill.

The enemy Pidgey was coming in to land a hit on Gill's Pidgey. His Pidgey responded quickly as he quickly began to flap his wings, creating a strong gust of wind. The Gust attack was powerful enough to blow the enemy Pidgey back and push him down to the ground. The kid groaned with his annoyance as he saw that his Pidgey had been taken down with one hit.

Gill's Pidgey was ecstatic to have won his first battle. He swooped down and landed on top of his Trainer's hat, spreading his wings with a victory gesture. Gill giggled as he held up the Pokéball, returning his Pokémon to have a quick rest. The Pokéball burst open though with Pidgey coming back out, shaking his head at the Trainer.

"I guess you want to stay with me, huh?" said Gill.

"Pidgey!" the bird Pokémon said, nodding his head.

Gill held his arm out, letting the Pokémon perch himself on his sleeved arm. He carefully began to walk over to the kid who had slumped down to the ground with a disappointed look on his face. "Hey, thanks for the fun battle," Gill said, cheerfully. "This was great practice before my Gym Battle at Violet City."

"Oh," the kid said, looking up to Gill. "You're taking the Gym Challenge?"

"Yup," Gill said as he nodded his head. "I'm going to battle every Gym Leader in Johto so I can become a Champ like my dad."

"That's so cool!" the boy said as he jumped back on his feet. "I'm too scared to start my Gym Challenge yet and I can see that I still have a long way to go. I'm Joey, by the way!"

"My name's Gill."

"Nice to meet ya," said Joey. "Let's exchange numbers so I could challenge you for a rematch sometime!"

"Sounds great," Gill said as they exchanged numbers.

With the battle over, Gill made a new friend and continued his journey with a smile on his face.

* * *

The walk to Violet City was taking a little longer then Gill had originally expected.

Gill kept walking up the path with his Pidgey flying above him to enjoy his freedom. He didn't mind his Pokémon running off on his own, but he was constantly reminding Pidgey not to go too far off on his own. This was furthered proven true when Pidgey got too close to a tree and ended up angering a few Weedle. Gill quickly returned his Pokémon to the Pokéball and took off running before the Beedrill came chasing after them.

When he was finally far away enough, Gill gave out a heavy sigh as he slumped to a grassy field that had a cave and a small pond in the distance. He checked his Pokégear and saw that he wasn't too far from Violet City now. He'd be there in less than an hour so long as he didn't encounter anymore distractions, which he knew wouldn't be that big of a deal. So the young Trainer got back on his feet and resumed walking over to Violet City.

At least until he saw a Pokémon sitting on top of a rock and crying. Gill's curiosity got the better of him so he went over to check on what could possibly be wrong with the Pokémon that looked like a little, tan bear with a crescent on their forehead. Gill brought out his Pokédex to scan the Pokémon to see just who it was.

"A Teddiursa, huh," said Gill. "That's odd. Shouldn't you be in a cave or up by the mountains, little guy?"

"Teddiursa!" the little Pokémon said, crying harder.

The Pokédex beeped for a moment and Gill saw he made a gender error. He immediately said oops as he put away, kneeling down to face the little Pokémon. "It's okay, girl." Gill removed his backpack, pulling out a small jar from it. He opened the lid to retrieve a small, morsel of Pokémon food. "You hungry?"

Teddiursa stopped crying as she looked curiously at the food in his hand. Gill handed it over to her, which the little bear accepted and ate happily. She stuck her hand in her mouth though, licking at the familiar taste of honey.

Gill thought that was all that was wrong so he was going to leave when Teddiursa ran over to him. She clung onto his leg and kept on crying, which worried Gill. He bent over to pick her up, noticing that she wouldn't stop crying as she buried her face into his chest.

"Did you get separated from your parents?" Gill asked, thinking that was it.

And he hit the hammer on the nail with that one. The Teddiursa nodded her head and began to point to the cave at the distance, which Gill had to assume was her home. He promised to take her back and started to walk over in that direction, only going slightly off route to help out the little Pokémon.

It took about fifteen minutes for Gill to walk all the way to the cave with Teddiursa still in his arms. He bent over to let the Pokémon go, saying that she should be home now. The Teddiursa went over to the cave and gave out a soft cry, which was followed by a loud growl. That immediately made Gill want to wet his pants as he took a few steps, seeing a giant bear coming out from the cave. His Pokédex became very handy for him as he learned that it was the papa bear himself, Ursaring.

Ursaring roared over at Gill, believing that the Trainer was a threat to his cub. The Teddiursa stopped her parent though before he could maul the Trainer. Gill cowered in fear as Teddiursa spoke to her papa, explaining that Gill had helped her. Ursaring began to calm down and nodded his head over at Gill before reaching out for the little Teddiursa.

She ran up to Ursaring, hugging her papa before turning her head back to Gill. The young Trainer smiled as he began to turn to walk away, but she gave out another cry that made Gill turn around. Teddiursa said something to Ursaring, which led to him nodding his head and releasing the little cub. Teddiursa ran up to Gill with a smile on her face.

Gill knelt down to the little bear, thinking that he was seeing the big picture for a change. "You want to come with me, Teddiursa?" he asked, softly.

"Teddi!" the Pokémon said, happily.

"Alright then," Gill said, jumping to his feet. He took out the last Pokéball that Lyra gave him and threw it at the Teddiursa. The Pokéball opened at once, releasing a ray of light that sucked Teddiursa in and fell to the ground. It didn't shake even for a second but the red light went off to signaled that it had been capture.

Gill smiled as he let the Teddiursa out of her Pokéball so that they both could say goodbye to the Ursaring before he retreated to the cave.

* * *

Route 31 wasn't that much different then Route 30.

Gill finished the short route quickly enough and reached Violet City by two. In fact, he just passed the gate when the clock struck two, reaching mid-afternoon. Gill had a smile on his face as he entered his first Gym Town. The city looked more like a village to him, which carried many of the feudal-like scenery. There was a lot of violet around the city along with plenty of trees to give the town an old town feel to it.

That didn't bother Gill though as he took in the refreshing scent of Violet City. A smile widened on his face as he began to make his way over to the Pokémon Center to get his Pokémon a quick checkup from this city's Nurse Joy. It took only about fifteen minutes for his Pokémon to get their checkup and it gave him a chance to eat before his big Gym Battle that he was so looking forward too.

Gill practically ran out of the Pokémon Center after Nurse Joy gave him the directions to the Gym. He ran up the path that took him up to the Pokémon Academy. Quickly, he remembered that he was supposed to take a left at the academy in order to reach the gym.

It only took him about five minutes before he reached the Violet City Gym where his first Gym Badge waited for him.

A confident smile formed on Gill's face as he looked up to the bulky building. There were violet lines running over the sides with the official logo of the Pokémon League printed on the roof. Gill looked at the building that stood before him, knowing that this was where he'd prove to everyone if he even stood a chance at becoming a Pokémon Master.

But as Gill was about to approach the building, a hand snatched him by his shoulder. The boy spun around to face a familiar looking man standing behind him with a gentle smile on his face. "You're not ready for the Gym yet," said a man with raven colored hair. The man's warm smile filled Gill with hope and strength as he gazed upon the fairly, muscular man. He was dressed very formally in a fitted suit that all Pokémon League officials wore.

"Dad!" Gill said, throwing his arms around Victor Hart.

Victor wrapped his arms around his body, not too surprised by the sudden hug. He felt his son's hold on him getting tighter, which kept the smile on his face. "Well Gill, it looks like you're an eager one," said his father. "It's only been a week since I last saw you, but you already look so much older. I guess two days can change a boy into a young man, huh?"

Gill blushed as he pulled himself away from his father. He held his head down to cover the embarrassment with his hands locked together in front of his chest. "You really think I look that much different, dad?" asked the boy. "Did you feel the same way about Lyra when she first left?"

"Oh yes, your sister quickly grew up into the young woman she is today," said Victor. "I'm proud of you both, but I'm not sure about you yet, Gill." He placed his hands into the coat pocket of his black coat. He took a few steps forward with his black shoes grazing over the gravel road with his creamy pants swaying a little. "You're just not ready yet to fight the Violet City Gym Leader. Besides, the Gym Leader is away for the day and won't be back until morning."

The bad news made Gill sigh as he dropped to his knees. He gave out a disappointed sight after hearing that his dad didn't think he had what it took to fight the Gym Leader. "You don't think I'm that good of a Trainer?" asked Gill. "I know I've only been a Trainer for two days, but I think I'm okay. I'm not strong like you, mom, or Lyra yet, but Professor Elm and even Professor Oak seem to have faith in me."

Hearing the name of his old friend made Victor spin around to face his son. The former Champion dropped to a knee as he looked his young son straight in the eyes. "You met Professor Oak?" asked his father. Gill nodded his head before presenting the Pokédex to him. This made Victor huff as he got back on his feet and dragged Gill up with him.

"My mistake then," Victor said to his son. "If Professor Oak has faith in you then you just might be ready to take the challenge. But since you have a day to prepare, I want you to go to Sprout Tower to train. There are Sages there that you can battle and if you can reach the top then you'll be ready to battle the Gym Leader."

"You really think so?" Gill asked, happy by the turn of events.

"I know so," Victor said. He wrapped his arm around his shoulder, guiding him back towards the Pokémon Academy. Instead of walking to the building though, Victor guided them north to a tall building that was about three-floors high that took on a temple-like appearance. Gill marveled at it for a moment as Victor laughed at the curiosity in his son's eyes. "That is the Sprout Tower. Like I said before, you can beat the Sages in there then you'll be ready to challenge the Violet City Gym Leader."

Gill nodded his head as he twisted his hat around. He turned it so that the lid was pointed behind him with his forehead exposed now before running off. "I'll show you what I'm made of, pops!" shouted the young Trainer. "You'll see what I can do. I'll be back in an hour."

"Take your time, Gill!" shouted Victor. "You have a whole day to train, so take advantage of the opportunity to get stronger."

"Got it!" Gill said as he ran into the Sprout Tower.

Victor only shook his head though as he saw his son cross the bridge that led to the tower. The lake that circled around that part of town had a small landmass to serve as a natural bridge. Gill, however, managed to avoid the natural bridge after crossing the man-made one. He stumbled into the water for a minute, his shoes and half his legs being submerged for a minute.

A light sigh escaped Victor as he turned away, truly wondering how his son would survive on his Pokémon Journey by himself.

* * *

Gill entered the Sprout Tower with the door creaking behind him as he did so. He gasped, nervously as he thought that he broke something. His nerves calmed down though, as he took his first couple of steps inside the nearly empty building. He took this time to examine the architecture of the inside of the tower before proceeding any further.

Everything appeared so ancient to him like it truly did come from the feudal era. At the center of the building was a giant pillar that swayed oddly, which he didn't think was safe. He wondered how old the tower was when he came across an older man who wore thick, gray robes. In his hands were prayer beads that he chanted mindlessly to as he stood beside the staircase that led to the higher floors.

"Another Trainer is battling the great Elder," spoke the old man as he opened his eyes. "Do you wish to challenge our Elder as well?"

"Yes sir," Gill said, taking out Dratini's Pokéball.

The sage began to smile as he pulled a Pokéball of his own from his sleeve. "At least you have more manners then the last one," he said, cheerfully.

And so began the Trainer Battle. The Sage released a Bellsprout against Gill and his Dratini. This battle didn't last too long though since Gill could tell that the Sage was a weak Trainer. He quickly had Dratini knock the Bellsprout out with a single Twister. The cyclone of wind that came easily knocked the Pokémon out, forcing the Sage to send out his last Bellsprout.

This Bellsprout was a little stronger then the last, which made Gill have to rethink his strategy. Dratini responded well to his every command though so that worked in his favor. The enemy Bellsprout used Vine Whip against Dratini, laying some pain down on her. Gill reacted quickly though as he ordered her to use a Wrap attack. Dratini coiled herself around the Bellsprout, squeezing the Pokémon into an unconscious state and winning the battle for them.

Gill returned her to the Pokéball with the Sage stepping aside so Gill could continue.

On the second floor, he encountered another Sage that was waiting for him almost. It creped him out a little bit, but he managed to show the Sage no fear as he got into position. Gill took out the Pokéball that belonged to his Teddiursa, deciding that it was time for her to get a little training. The newest addition to his team needed to be shown some love, plus Dratini needed her rest.

"Go Bellsprout!" shouted the Sage.

"Go Teddiursa!" shouted Gill.

Teddiursa came out of her Pokéball, greeting the world with a soft yawn. She stuck her pawn in her mouth and licked away at the honey while looking at the Grass-type Pokémon that swayed around like an annoying twig. The Sage quickly ordered for a Vine Whip, which the Bellsprout responded too. Leafy vines escaped from the Bellsprout's body and was about to crash into Teddiursa when she threw herself out of the way.

Gill ordered for Teddiursa to get close and use a Scratch attack. She nodded her head and rushed up to the Bellsprout just as it was about to use another Vine Whip. Teddiursa jumped above the Pokémon before swinging her claws forward and took him down with a single hit. The Grass-type went down in a single second, making this a quick win for Gill.

"Well done, young Trainer," said the Sage. "Go to the next floor. Two more Sages will wait for you there before you can battle our wise Elder."

"Thanks," Gill said as he sent Teddiursa back into her Pokéball.

* * *

Gill followed the stairs up to the third floor where two more Sages stood in a small area with a screen door behind them. He could only awesome that he was going to get sucked into a tag-team battle with these Sages. He already decided which combination of Pokémon he'd use to win this one in the least amount of time possible.

The two Sages looked at Gill with soft expressions on their faces as they examined the young man carefully. Each one pulled out a Pokéball with Gill getting two of his own out. For a moment, Gill was completely nervous about a tag-team battle, considering that he had no one to tag with. He was going to be on his own for this one, which would make it all the more difficult for him to win it.

"Do not fear, young Trainer," said one of the Sages. "You have nothing to fear so long as you fight with a clear head."

"Show us how well you've trained your Pokémon," said the other Sage. "We challenge you to battle!"

The Sages threw their Pokéballs out, each one sending out a Bellsprout to battle with. Gill was beginning to detect a pattern with all this Bellsprout obsession between the Sages. He sent out Teddiursa since she still had enough firepower left in her along with his Pidgey. He hoped that with the two of them working together that he'd make quick work of the Sages.

That wouldn't be the case though.

Vine Whips flew across the field with Teddiursa and Pidgey doing everything that they could to avoid the attacks. It took every bit of focus that Gill had to concentrate on quickly saving one Pokémon before the other was severally damaged. A Vine Whip was heading straight for Pidgey, which he ordered that he'd fly away from. His Pidgey followed orders, but another Vine Whip attacked Pidgey from the air, which made Gill growl at the Sages.

"Teddiursa, use Leer!" he shouted.

She followed his command and gave out a nasty Leer to the Bellsprouts. Both of the Grass-type Pokémon began to nervously cry out with fear just as his Pidgey managed to get back on his feet. He got a little hurt and Gill noticed that the Pokémon's wing looked like it was hurt a little. That made Gill cringe with sympathy pain for his Pokémon, but he still needed Pidgey he was going to win and end this fast!

"Pidgey, hit them with your Gust, if you can," said the young Trainer.

Pidgey nodded as he tried to flap both wings to create a strong gust of wind. He did accomplish this, but his right wing began to cry out with pain that made the Pokémon stop. There was a light gust though that blew at the Bellsprouts, which successfully managed to knock one of them out. Now, only one of them was left standing, while his Pidgey gave out soft cries of pain.

"Rest up, Pidgey. Teddiursa, use Lick on the other Bellsprout."

"Teddiursa!" shouted the little bear.

The little bear jumped in front of the other one that was kneeling on his twiggy, legs. She didn't know what was about to hit her before it was too late. Teddiursa used her best lick to disorient the female Bellsprout into submission. The female bear stuck her hand into her mouth to lick at the honey, while the Bellsprout was easily knocked out by the gross tongue action.

Gill sighed with great relief, sending Teddiursa back into her Pokéball. For Pidgey though, he made sure to get out a Potion that he bought from Cherrygrove City. With the purple bottle of medicine in hand, he sprayed at the Pokémon's wing so that it would heal quickly enough. It stung Pidgey though, but the Pokémon appreciated it soon enough when his wing began to hurt a little less.

"Take a rest, Pidgey," Gill said as he returned him to his Pokéball. He shrunk it down to a smaller size and attached it to the clip on his belt, securely with the other Pokéballs. He got up on his feet and turned to the Sages that stood by the screen wall. "So, may I challenge the Elder now? I need to finish my training before I can battle the Violet City Gym Leader."

"Not yet, young one," said a Sage.

"The Elder is busy battling another," said the other Sage.

Gill gave out a heavy sigh before dropping down to his butt, getting comfortable since he didn't know how long this Elder would take with the other Trainer.

* * *

It was a much longer wait then the Sages could've warned Gill about. The young Trainer was rocking back and forth, uncomfortably as he stared down at the screen door. The beam of the tower continued to shake, which the Sages warned him that it meat that the Elder was still battling the Trainer. Gill couldn't tell if that meant that their Elder was remarkably strong or if the Elder and Trainer were just too evenly match.

Either way, Gill was waiting for over an hour for the battle to finally come to a close. The tower stopped shaking and there was a loud conversation going on that made Gill pick his head up. It sounded like someone was yelling, which worried Gill since he thought that Elders and Sages were supposed to be peaceful people.

The screen door slid open with Gill gasping as he recognized Silver as he made his way out.

The fiery, red head slammed the door shut behind him with a weird case in his hand. He stuffed it into the pocket of his satchel. He froze for a moment as he saw Gill there and began to shake his head at the boy. "What are you doing here, punk?" said Silver. "Did you come here to take Totodile away from me again?"

"Well, you are a thief," said Gill. "And my name is not punk! My name is Gill."

Silver just huffed as he took out a Pokéball and released his Totodile. The Water-type Pokémon began to dance around with joy as he embraced his freedom for the Pokéball. "Try and take him from me then," said Silver. "My Pokémon are tired from their battle against the Elder. It should be easy for you then, Gill."

Gill just glared at Silver before shaking off the disdain for a moment. He approached Totodile and knelt down as he held out his hands towards him. "Come on, little guy," he said, softly. "Let's take you back to Professor Elm."

"Totodile!" shouted the Pokémon before spewing a Water Gun.

The water knocked Gill back with water entering his nose and mouth. He coughed roughly for a moment as he felt like he was choking from nearly drowning. Silver just laughed as the Totodile went to his side, hugging his leg before sending him back into the Pokéball. "Looks like you're a little too late," said the mean Trainer. "He much rather be with a strong Trainer then stuck in a lab with an idiot."

Gill began to glare at Silver again, holding onto the front of his shirt as he tried to stand. He couldn't quite get on his feet though on account of nearly drowning. Silver began to laugh as he went up to the boy, pulling him up to his feet. It amazed Gill just how strong Silver was and managed to lift him up effortlessly.

"You better stay out of my way," said Silver. "Next time, I won't be so kind and I'll kick your ass."

"That's a little mean since I saved your ass," said Gill. "I'm the one who through the cops off your trail."

Silver's eyes showed a bit of shock, but there was no way that he was going to admit it. He pushed Gill away from him with his face returning to that apathetic stare. "Do you expect me to thank you then?" he said, calmly. "Well, I suppose I should, so I might just ignore your existence the next time we meet. I recommend that you get stronger, Gill because I'm twice as strong as last time."

Silver just left it at that as he went down the stairs, leaving the Sprout Tower and Gill.

Gill pushed himself to stand once more, infuriated with Silver once more. He was honestly sick of the guy's hyper aggressive attitude, more so then his own growing affections. The confusing thoughts were boiling up inside him, which he fought to suppress as the other Sages returned from the Elder's chamber.

He was informed that the Elder was ready for battle.

* * *

Stepping through the open door, Gill made his way into a small battle area in the middle of the Sprout Tower. Gill kept his cool as he approached a spot across from where an older man stood with his head bowed in prayer. The old man wore a large, purple robe with a yellow sash that covered him from his right shoulder down. The young Trainer looked at him carefully, assuming him to be the Elder that the Sages referred too.

Gill gave out a soft cough to catch the Elder's attention. The older man picked his head up and straightened himself out as he faced the boy. "You are different then the other Trainer I battled," said the Elder. "I can see your heart, and it's filled with warmth and light. You are truly a compassionate human being with an exceptionally, pure heart."

That reminded Gill a little of what the Sages of the Dragon's Den told him back when he was little. They said his heart was pure as well, which was why they gave him his Dratini in the first place. "Sir," said Gill, "did you lose to the Trainer before me?"

"Sadly, I did," said the Elder. "That young man fights with exceptional talent and skill, but he forgets to care for his Pokémon in the process. I can feel so much negativity and hate in his heart, but his soul is a different matter." The Elder dug through his sleeve as he pulled out a Pokéball from it. He clicked on the center dot to cause it to grow to normal size. "His soul is thirsty for love and affection, something that your heart breathes, but your soul is lonely and weak but his provides strength and courage. I can see that you two represent Yin and Yang, you two are opposite that are constantly drawn to each other."

"What does that mean?" Gill asked, honestly in shock. He understood a little bit of the concept of Yin Yang. The Elder said that his relationship with Silver would represent this concept, but what kind of relationship would this be? And how deep down the rabbit hole was Gill going to wind up?

The Elder shook his head, no longer willing to speak anymore about the matter. Frankly, it was because he was unsure of what destiny had in store for them other than them being intertwined together. "Allow me to check the bonds between you and your Pokémon, young Trainer," said the Elder. "Fight me on a four-on-four battle. Show me the strength of your pure heart!"

The Elder released a Bellsprout to battle Gill, which he wasn't too surprised about. He chose to send out his Cyndaquil since he had been neglecting the little guy's type advantage. The match began with the Elder viciously ordering the Bellsprout to use Razor Leaf. Bellsprout did as he was told, flinging a variety of sharp leaves at Cyndaquil. Gill's Pokémon managed to dodge it without even being ordered to when Gill told him to use Smokescreen to distract him. Cyndaquil agreed as he blew out a cloud of black smoke from his mouth.

Smokescreen did the trick as it blinded and disoriented the Bellsprout. Gill got Cyndaquil to use his Ember next to finish the Bellsprout off. Cyndaquil opened his mouth once more, firing a jet of fire that burned Bellsprout, leaving him an unconscious mess.

The Elder and Gill switched Pokémon at this point with the Elder using another Bellsprout, while Gill sent out his Dratini. By then, the Smokescreen cleared out, allowing both the Trainers to see what was going on. The Elder quickly ordered Bellsprout to use a Vine Whip, which knocked into Gill's already weakened Dratini. She managed to take the hit well enough though and wasn't about to give up just yet.

Gill was motivated by Dratini's strength and ordered her to use ExtremeSpeed. Moving with hyper fast speeds, Dratini struck Bellsprout from behind, taking it down with one hit. Bellsprout landed on the ground, confused and unconscious at this point. Gill decided to leave his Dratini out just as the Elder chose another Dratini.

This time though, the Elder decided to go a little smarter with this stronger Bellsprout. He ordered him to use Growth to increase his Special Attack power. Bellsprout began to glow with a faint aura, while Gill ordered Dratini to use Wrap on him. Dratini did as she was told, using Wrap to crush the Bellsprout, but the Elder ordered Bellsprout to use Vine Whip.

So with the Special Attack power up, Bellsprout called forth a stronger Vine Whip to attack Dratini. This forced the little Dragon to relinquish he hold him, which led to Bellsprout following up with a nasty Razor Leaf. This attack knocked his Dratini out, which surprised Gill as he sent her back into the Pokéball.

Teddiursa came next to fight the Bellsprout. Gill got her to use a Leer to weakened Bellsprout's defense this time. It looked like it worked, but Gill was still weary of the Bellsprout as the Elder ordered for another Razor Leaf. Gill had Teddiursa jump out of the way, but Teddiursa refused as she stood her ground. Instead, her claws began to glow with a look of determination on her face as she scratched away at the incoming Razor Leaf. Gill scanned this and saw that Teddiursa had learned to use Fury Swipes, which made him jump for joy.

Now that she could do that, Gill ordered her to quickly use another set of Fury Swipes. Teddiursa nodded her head as she ran with her little legs over at the Bellsprout just as the Elder ordered for another set of Razor Leaf. The sharp leaps went flying after her, but Teddiursa fought back with her sharps claws with the final strike landing on Bellsprout. This knocked the Pokémon back, which Gill told her to follow up with a regular Scratch. With this last attack, Teddiursa knocked this Bellsprout out, ending the third round.

Gill and the Elder switched Pokémon once more. To his surprise though, the Elder sent out a new Pokémon. Gill was at a lost for a moment as he scanned this Pokémon, learning that the brown bird Pokémon was none other than Hoothoot. Feeling that it should be settled between the same times, Gill sent out his Pidgey.

With a bird on bird showdown, Gill and the Elder sent their Pokémon after each other. Hoothoot released a red ray of light that was called Foresight to scan for Pidgey's weaknesses. Pidgey flew out of the way though, taking advantage of Hoothoot's lack of ability to fully gain flight. So Gill ordered for a Gust attack, which Pidgey delivered with full force.

The sharp gust of wind knocked into Hoothoot, but was far from ending the match. Next came a Hypnosis that nearly put Pidgey to sleep when it came into contact. The attack managed to make Pidgey land on the ground, roughly, but he stayed away though to survive it. Hoothoot ran up for a Peck attack next, trying to take advantage of his foe's weakened state. Pidgey and Gill responded quickly though as Gill ordered for a Tackle attack. Pidgey sprang forward, knocking into the Hoothoot just as he took on the Peck.

Pidgey landed on top of the unconscious Hoothoot as the victor of the match.

Gill cheered for himself and his Pokémon, while Pidgey did the same for himself.

A smile formed on the Elder's face as he began to applaud Gill for his victory. He sent Hoothoot back into his Pokéball to rest after the long battle. The Elder began to walk across the ring to approach Gill and his Pidgey. "Ah, excellent," the Elder said to Gill. "The way you battle is quite elegant. You should be able to stand up to Falkner."

"Falkner?" said Gill.

"The Violet City Gym Leader," said the Elder. He dug through the front of his robes, removing a white disc from it. He presented the disk to Gill, which the boy took with much confusion. "That is a Technical Machine; this one will teach one of your Pokémon the move Flash. With the move Flash, you'll be able to illuminate any cave no matter how dark it may be."

Gill smiled as he took the useful new TM with him on his journey. He stuffed it into his pack before sending his Pidgey back into the Pokéball for a quick rest. "Thank you, Elder," said the young Trainer. "It was an honor battling you."

"The honor was all mine," said the Elder. "I hope you learn and grow from your journey. Take care, young Trainer."

Gill thanked the Elder once more before turning around to take the stairs down to the lower floor with the Elder watching the boy carefully.

Yes, the Elder could see the great potential within Gill just like the Elder and Sages of the Dragon's Den could.

* * *

When Gill finally made it outside the Sprout Tower, he wasn't too surprised to see his father waiting for him by the front of the steps.

Victor had a curious look on his face as he slowly began to approach his son. His hands were stuffed into his pockets as he looked at the worried face of his son against the twilight sky. "Did you fail to beat the Sages?" asked his father. "You could always try again tomorrow."

Gill shook his head at his father though before showing off the TM he won. "I defeated all the Sages and their Elder," he said, smiling at him. Victor's eyes widened with surprise, which made the boy think that his father thought he wasn't going to win on his first try. Gill was glad that he could still surprise his father as he stuffed the TM into his bag. "It's just something that the Elder said about me and the Trainer that fought him before me."

"The red headed boy?" asked his father. "I saw him leave about two hours ago. What did the Elder say about you two?"

"That we represented Yin Yang," said Gill. "I'm not sure what that means though."

"Well son," said Victor, "I think the Elder believes that the red headed boy is your Rival. Most Trainers have one, I'm not surprised that you have one. Although, I wasn't expecting you to gain a Rival at least until after you gained your first Gym Badge."

Gill began to nod his head as he looked over to the Gym in the distance. "I guess you're right," he said, softly. A yawn escaped the boy's throat as he gave into all the excitement from today. He was completely bushed and he just knew that his Pokémon were going to be completely exhausted from the long day they had.

Victor already knew this just by looking at his son. He wrapped his arm around Gill's shoulder, telling him that he could stay with him in his hotel room for the night. Gill began to smile with that one, saying that he needed to go to the Pokémon Center to get his Pokémon checked up.

"We'll do that now," said Victor, "and after we drop them off then you and I can go out for a nice dinner. How does that sound, Gill?"

"That sounds great, dad," Gill said, resting his head against his father's side.

A smile grew on Victor's face as he continued to hold onto his son as they walked down the road together.


	5. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Haha. Here is the new chapter for Pokemon. It took me a bit of effort to write this one since I'm feeling super sick. BLAH! Whatever you do, don't eat the ranch sauce that comes with the new chicken club from Wendy's. Order without ranch or your toilet will become your best friend and worst enemy...yeah. Now that gross image is in your head, read and review!

**Chapter 4:**

Victor watched as his son innocently slept beside him in the bed they were sharing. The hotel room that he got from the Pokémon League was only a single, but the king-sized mattress was big enough for twenty. Despite all the space they had, Gill still desperately clung onto his father's t-shirt as he drifted off into a deep sleep.

A sigh escaped Victor, while he continued to watch his son. He was extremely nervous about Gill being on his own at such a young age. Victor was seventeen when he finally started his own and didn't complete it till he was about 29 when he finally became Champion. He spent most of his time alone, until Molly finally caught up with him and they journeyed together. That was the happiest time in his life until Team Rocket began their attacks on the Kanto region. By then, Molly already had Lyra and was pregnant with Gill. They abandoned their home region for Johto where they would be safe to raise their growing family. Victor then focused on gaining the Gym Badges of the Johto Gym Leaders, which wasn't an easy task. He did it though and the reward was worth it.

But he didn't feel that Gill could handle the journey on his own. Gill was too sweet and innocent of a kid that it would be too easy for someone to take advantage of him along the way. Plus, Gill wasn't that big of a kid either. It would be easily for someone to overpower him, doing who knows what to the poor boy. Victor was so afraid for Gill's safety that he couldn't willingly allow his son to continue the journey, not now.

A light yawn escaped Gill as he finally began to stir from bed. He picked his head up from his father's chest, rubbing the crud out of his sandy eyes. "Morning dad," he said, softly. He rubbed his hand against the dried drool on his face before pulling away from him. "Today is the big day, right! I get to fight Falkner at the Violet City Gym!"

"Yeah," Victor said, trying not to sure his guilt. "Are you sure you're ready for this, Gill? You don't have to go for the Gym Challenges yet. You can help me with the Pokémon League and I'll train you so that you can get stronger."

That was a generous offer that was coming from his father. Gill had to acknowledge that as he pushed himself up from the bed, the covers falling off of him, exposing the t-shirt and shorts that he wore to bed. It was a tempting offer for Gill. It meant he'd get to spend a lot more time with his father and he'd be able to learn to be a Trainer from the best.

But that would mean a lot of sacrifices on Gill's end. Part of the reason for going out on a journey was for him to grow stronger on his own and meet new people and Pokémon. Could he really just toss all of that aside and take the easy way out?

No! Gill couldn't live with himself if he did that.

The boy shook his head at his father as he stood up on his own two feet. "Thank you for the offer, dad, but I can't accept it," he said, firmly. Victor looked up with shock, a million thoughts racing through his mind. Gill placed his hands on his waist as he leaned in closer to him. "I need to do this on my own. I have to prove how strong I am, I have to go on my own to prove that I'm capable of becoming a Pokémon Master. I can't just cheat and keep on going to you. I need to prove myself and everyone else that I can be strong."

Victor listened to his son's words, nodding his head with approval. He got up from the bed as well, standing in front of his son before wrapping his arms around him. "You're growing up so fast, Gill," said Victor. "It only seemed like yesterday that you were my baby boy. You always held onto me and bury your face into my chest like you were afraid to be on your own. I can respect your decision, Gill, and I wish you the best of luck at your match today."

"Thank you, dad," Gill said he buried his face into his father's chest for a moment.

Victor smiled as he kissed the top of Gill's head, rubbing his hand against his back.

* * *

After that tender moment with his dad and putting down some breakfast, Gill quickly got dressed before making his way to the Violet City Gym. His father would be too busy with Pokémon League business to watch the match, but he promised to show up as soon as he could get away. Gill didn't mind though, he would probably be too nervous to perform at his best if his dad was there.

Gill stood in front of the Gym, looking at it with a heavy breath escaping his lungs. The Gym was huge with what looked like a high roof. Gill wondered just what type of Pokémon that this Gym Leader used in his battles. His father refused to tell him, saying it would be an unfair advantage if he heard it from him. Gill could respect that so he tried the Pokémon Center, but failed to find any Trainers up this early.

With a heavy sigh and a silent prayer escaping him, Gill pushed the doors to the Gym open as he prepared himself for his first battle. He took barely two steps into the Gym before seeing that it was completely dark. Was he really that early that not even the Gym was open to any challengers? Gill was about to curse his luck when he saw an older looking gentleman step out from the shadows, flicking on a light switch.

"May I help you, young man?" asked the older man as light illuminated the Gym. Gill took the time to look at the open space with a ring over in the distance. There was stadium seating that looked like it could house a couple hundred people. The walls bore designs of different Flying-type Pokémon, which made Gill think he figured out just what type of Pokémon the Leader specialized in.

Gill swallowed his nervousness as he looked at the old man. He was dressed up in a referee outfit with a pair of glasses covering his green eyes. Gill stepped up to the man, deciding to man up a little bit. "I'm here to challenge the Violet City Gym Leader to a Gym Battle," the boy said, calmly. "My name is Gill Hart from New Bark Town."

"Ah, a challenger," the man said, smiling. "Alright, wait right here. I will get Falkner for you; he should just be finishing his morning exercises." The man was about to turn away when a sudden thought reached him. He turned back around to face Gill, sizing the boy up. "I can tell that you're a new Trainer so let me give you a few hints at what to expect. Falkner is a very talented Trainer. He has only been the Gym Leader for a few months now since he replaced his father, but he is exceptionally strong and specializes with Flying-type Pokémon. I highly advice that you don't use any Grass-type Pokémon, instead use Electric and Rock-type."

The old man left it at that as he disappeared into a door, leaving Gill on his own as he tried to figure out a strategy to fight the Gym Leader.

* * *

Gill waited at the steps of the battle ring for the old man to return with the Gym Leader. He checked the clock on his Pokégear, impatiently, as he wondered just what was taking them so long to show up. He gave out an annoyed sigh before flumping down on the ground, wishing he could just start the dang Gym Battle already!

The anticipation was just killing him.

As the young Trainer looked up to the high ceiling, he failed to hear a door opening across the Gym. It wasn't until the door was slammed shut did he finally pay any attention as to what was happening. He shot up from the ground and spun around to see the old man was back with plus one. The referee had a cheery smile on his face as he made his way towards the center of the ring on its right portion.

Gill stood still as he took a look at the approaching figure. He could only assume that this was Falkner, the Violet City Gym Leader. Falkner looked only a few years older than Gill, maybe about the same age as Silver. He had long blue hair that shagged a bit with his bangs covering the right portion of his face. He was dressed up in blue robes with white tights covering his legs and a light-blue coat over his robes. He had red wristbands with black sandals to match with his bands.

Falkner slowly approached Gill, waiting for the young Trainer at the center of the ring. Gill took notice of this and advanced towards the Gym Leader with haste. A smirk grew on the Gym Leader's pale, handsome complexion as he sized up the young Trainer. "You wish to challenge me, Gill Hart of New Bark Town?" asked Falkner.

"Yes sir!" Gill said, slightly nervous as the young man continued to smile.

Falkner only turned partly around, his eyes still looking at Gill. "Please, just call me Falkner," he said, kindly. "Now, prepare yourself for battle, Trainer." He walked over to his end of the ring with Gill doing the same as he turned back. Falkner spun around with a Pokéball already in his hand as he locked his blue eyes with Gill once more. "People say you can clip a Flying-type Pokémon's wings with a jolt of electricity. I won't allow such insults to bird Pokémon! I'll show you the real power of the magnificent bird Pokémon!"

Gill braced himself for the worst as Falkner prepared to battle him. The referee called their attention first, stating that it was a two-on-two battle. The winner would be whoever had the last Pokémon standing. The opponents agreed as Falkner sent out his first Pokémon that turned out to be none other than a Pidgey.

The little Pidgey flew up into the air, looking down at the challenger. Gill huffed as he pulled out a Pokéball and released his Cyndaquil to battle against the Gym Leader. Gill and his team understood what was at stake here. This was their first Gym Battle and they couldn't go down in smoke, they need to rise up with the blaze of glory.

Falkner was already calculating what Gill was plotting before the battle truly began. Neither one of their Pokémon had a specific advantage so this round could go either way. This would be entertaining to say the least on his part.

"Pidgey, blind him with a Sand Attack!" shouted Falkner.

Pidgey did as he was told, wimping up cloud of sand in a moment's notice. The sand from the field rose up and blew over towards Cyndaquil, leaving the little fire-mouse disoriented by the distraction attack. Gill huffed as he ordered for Cyndaquil to use Ember at Pidgey.

Cyndaquil shot fire from his back before releasing a blast of fire from his mouth. The tiny spark of fire raced across the field with Falkner ordering Pidgey to block it with Gust. The Pidgey was able to whip up a powerful gust of wind that kept Cyndaquil's Ember at bay, but their two attacks ended up cancelling each other out.

By then, the Sand Attack had cleared out and Cyndaquil was already running after Pidgey. The Flying-type quickly flew higher into the air, avoiding the Tackle attacked that Gill ordered for. Cyndaquil missed the Pidgey and ended up rolling around the ground as he tried to reclaim his balance. Pidgey laughed from above them, easily getting away from nearly everyone of Cyndaquil's attacks at this point.

Falkner ordered for a Gust attack, which Pidgey delivered. The strong winds pushed Cyndaquil, rolling him around as he was pushed over to Gill. The young Trainer flinched as he tried to think of a way to bring Pidgey back down so that they'd be on an even playing field again. But as he was busy thinking, Falkner took advantage of this and ordered a Quick Attack.

"Smokescreen!" Gill quickly shouted.

As the Pidgey got closer, Cyndaquil tilted his head up and fired a Smokescreen. The thick cloud of smoke hit the Pidgey and left him blind as he struggled to stay up in the blanket of smoke. Gill caught sight of Pidgey falling to the ground and ordered for Cyndaquil to go for an Ember. Cyndaquil obeyed and fired another blast of Ember at his opponent, shooting Pidgey out of the cloud of smoke as he landed on the ground, unconscious.

"Cyndaquil is the winner!" shouted the referee. "Leader Falkner, send out your next Pokémon."

"Pidgey, return!" Falkner said as he sent his Pokémon back. He took out another Pokéball, holding it up as he saw a cocky look grow on Gill's face. "You shouldn't underestimate me, Trainer. The wind is on my side. Go Pidgeotto!" Falkner tossed his next Pokéball, releasing a large bird Pokémon from its confines.

The creamy colored bird looked strong as he gave out a powerful cry. He landed in the ring with his wings flapping as he came down for a smooth landing. Gill took this time to scan the Pokémon, learning that this was the evolved form of Pidgey. He gulped, realizing just how much trouble they were in since it was hard enough just beating Pidgey.

"Pidgeotto," said Falkner, "use Gust."

"Pidgeo!" shouted Pidgeotto as he flapped his wings wildly.

A powerful gust of wind began to form at that very moment. Gill's hair blew in the strong breeze, while Cyndaquil's flames were all but extinguished in the process. The wind grew stronger until Pidgeotto fully released his attack at its true potential. Gust blew across the ring, smacking Cyndaquil with full force as it sent the Pokémon outside of the ring.

Cyndaquil looked like he wanted to get up, but failed easily. He dropped down to the ground unwilling to fight as he drifted off into an unconscious state. Gill sent his Pokémon back into his Pokéball for a well deserved rest.

"Pidgeotto is the winner!" said the referee. "Trainer Gill, send out your next Pokémon."

Gill reached to his belt, grabbing a Pokéball from it. He expanded it and held it up to his face, hoping that this will give him the advantage that he needed to turn this fight around. "Go Pidgey!" Gill shouted as he flung the Pokéball. Out came his own Pidgey, flying freely to the ceiling with the Pidgeotto following behind him.

"Ah," Falkner said, smiling at Gill now. "You decide to use a Flying-type of your own for the final match, excellent!"

"It's excellent because I'm going to win!" shouted Gill. "Pidgey, use Quick Attack!"

Pidgey reacted to his Trainer's orders quicker than Falkner could respond. Pidgey crashed into Pidgeotto, knocking his evolved form back towards the ground. However, Pidgeotto quickly recovered from the attack though and was back in the air. Falkner ordered for Pidgeotto to show him what a real Quick Attack looked like. So Pidgeotto moved with remarkably blinding speed, Gill quickly ordering Pidgey to fly away.

Gill's Pidgey narrowly missed getting defeated with one blow. Gill gulped as he feared just how powerful Pidgeotto was. Maybe his dad was right; maybe he really wasn't ready to start his journey all by himself.

No, he couldn't doubt himself! He had to believe in his own skills and the strength of his Pokémon.

"Pidgey, Quick Attack!" shouted Gill.

"Pidgeotto, Gust!" ordered Falkner.

The two Pokémon fought each other, trying to overpower the other. Gust was pushing Pidgey back, but Gill's little bird was determined not to be defeated so easily either. His Quick Attack barely sliced through the Gust and crashed into Pidgeotto. Both Pokémon went down to the ground, both struggling to get back up.

"Pidgeotto, use Roost!" shouted Falkner.

Gill gasped as he watched this new attack. Pidgeotto planted himself on the ground, flapping his mighty wings around. His feathers flew around in a circle as a healing glow escaped him and healed him from the damage that he sustained. Pidgey looked on with horror as well, unsure of just how he was going to survive now that he was fighting a full-healed Pidgeotto.

Falkner was grinning as he called for Pidgeotto to use another Gust. As a mighty Gust of wind attacked Pidgey, Gill cried out for his Pidgey not to give up. "Don't give up, buddy!" shouted Gill. "Stay strong! You have to beat Pidgeotto! You're my last hope."

Pidgey responded to Gill's prayers as he forced himself to grow stronger. Pidgey didn't want to let his Trainer or himself down as he fought the Gust of wind. Which is why a strong glow escaped Pidgey, he slowly began to grow in size, and left everyone surprised. Once the light faded away, Gill was left in shock as he saw his Pidgey now as a Pidgeotto.

"Pidgeo!" shouted Gill's Pidgeotto.

"Alright!" Gill cheered, happily! "Let's show this Gym Leader who is boss! Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack!"

Gill's Pidgeotto followed his Trainer's command as he quickly unflared his wing. Pidgeotto began to fly with remarkable speed as he zoomed across the ring and crashed into Falkner's Pidgeotto. Landing a powerful, critical hit, Gill's Pidgeotto was able to knock out the enemy Pokémon with a single attack.

"Pidgeotto is unable to battle," said the referee. "Trainer Gill is the winner!"

"Yes!" Gill cheered.

Pidgeotto flew towards him, joining his Trainer in a victory dance.

Falkner smirked as he sent his Pidgeotto back into his Pokéball. "I understand," he said, softly. "I'll bow out gracefully." He stuffed it into his coat before slowly making his way over to Gill. He stood in front of Gill and his Pidgeotto, gaining both of their attention as he went through his coat again. "A defeat is a defeat. Take this official Pokémon League Badge, the Zephyr Badge, as proof of your victory in my Gym."

Falkner took out a silver colored badge in the shape of a pair of wings. He presented it to Gill, which the young Trainer accepted with joy. Gill's heart surged with pride for his victory as he proved to himself that he was truly capable of making this journey on his own.

"With that badge," Falkner continued to explain, "you'll be able to use the Hidden Machine move Rock Smash without any difficulty. Before you leave though, I have something else to give you from Gym Leader to Trainer." Falkner went through his coat, once more, as he took out a light-blue disc. "This TM contains the move Roost. Use it on your Pidgeotto and he'll be able to heal himself in battle just as mine did during our match."

Gill accepted the last of Falkner's gift with a smile on his face. He stuffed it into his bag before bowing to Falkner for a moment. "It was an honor battling you, Falkner," said Gill. "I have learned so much from our battle."

"No, it was I who learned from our battle," said Falkner. "Now, go on and continue your journey. I recommend that you go to Azalea Town, which is south passed the Union Cave." He took Gill's Pokégear from his pocket, surprising the young Trainer as he did so. Falkner punched on a few keys before returning it to the boy. "Keep in touch with me if you ever want advice or need someone to talk to. I would very much enjoy having a rematch with you someday."

"Okay, Falkner," Gill said, smiling as he turned away and left the Gym with his Pidgeotto.

Falkner watched as the boy left, a soft smirk growing on his face. He waited until the doors closed before finally turning away. "I'll need to get stronger for our rematch," he said to himself "Gill; I can see that you'll become a powerful Trainer in the near future. I'll need to train harder if I'm going to stand a chance against you again."

And so Falkner left the ring with the referee staying behind as he resumed his training.

* * *

Gill made it outside of the Gym, cheering his Pidgeotto on for winning him the final match. Pidgeotto was bursting with pride as he spread his wings wide and gave out a fearful cry. That made Gill laugh as he kept on walking until he saw his dad waiting at a bench not too far from the Gym.

Victor got up and ran over to his son, smiling as he did so. The Champion looked at Pidgeotto, taken back by his presence before looking back at Gill. "I see that your Pidgey evolved," Victor said, calmly. "Is it safe to assume that you won against Falkner?"

"Yes!" Gill said as he held up his Zephyr Badge. "I thought I was going to lose though until Pidgey evolved into Pidgeotto. He saved my neck in the end."

"Excellent job, Gill!" Victor said as he reached up to stroke the Pidgeotto. He turned back to Gill as he took out a brown colored disc from his pocket and handed it over to his son. "This is the Hidden Machine that goes with the Gym Badge. This will teach anyone of your Pokémon to use Rock Smash. It's a handy move to use in battle as well as the natural environment."

Gill accepted his father's gift, stuffing it in his bag with Falkner's TM as well. "Thank you, dad," he said, cheerfully. "Now, I should probably get to a Pokémon Center to heal my Pokémon."

"Let me take care of that for you," Victor said as he fished from his bag for the necessary supplies.

Gill watched as his father worked his medical wonders on his Pokémon. He revived Cyndaquil and used a Potion to heal him of all his wounds. He saved a Super Potion that he had to use on Pidgeotto, healing him from the wounds he had sustained as a Pidgey. With both Pokémon back in tip top condition, Gill began to ask Victor how was work.

Victor was just getting into details about his investigation at the Ruins of Alph to the west of Violet City. He barely had time to explain that he was trying to solve some mystery with these special tables when Gill's Pokégear began to ring. Gill excused himself as he answered it, learning that the call was coming from Professor Elm.

"How are you, professor?" asked Gill.

"Great, I made a big breakthrough though with the egg," said the professor. "It apparently stirs when around Pokémon. That's why I'm calling you, Gill, I need to ask you another favor. Can you take care of the egg for me? I think it'll hatch if it's around a Trainer and his Pokémon."

"Not a problem, professor," said Gill. "Do I have to run back to New Bark Town to get it?"

"Not at all," said Elm. "Your father told me that you were Violet City still so I have one of my aides there at the Poké Mart there. Just go there and pick up the egg from him there. Thanks again, Gill! Let me know right away when it hatches."

The call ended there and Gill returned his Pokégear to his pocket before turning to his father.

Victor just shrugged his shoulders, laughing as he followed Gill to the Poké Mart.

After they got the call from Professor Elm, Gill led his father into the Poké Mart to find the aide that he was told about. Gill kept his eyes peeled for anyone in a white labcoat with Victor doing the same until they spotted someone at the back of the store. They went over there until they saw a man in his early twenties sitting at one of the chairs with the Pokémon Egg sitting on his lap.

"Excuse me, Harry," Victor said, calling out the aide's name.

Harry jumped from his seat, originally startled until he recognized Victor and Gill. A smile began to spread across his face as he greeted Victor before turning his attention back to Gill. "Did Professor Elm explain to you what he needed you to do?" asked the aide. Gill just nodded his head so the aide handed the egg over to him. "Promise to take good care of it for us? This isn't any ordinary egg, there's a baby Pokémon growing inside there and needs plenty of love and care in order to hatch."

"I promise," Gill swore.

Harry thanked Gill and said goodbye to them both before leaving the Poké Mart to return to New Bark Town.

Gill held onto the Pokémon Egg, rubbing the side of the egg gently. He felt something moving inside of it, which made him giggle as he looked up to his father, asking what they would do next. Victor just smiled as he reminded his boy about the Ruins of Alph. Gill had forgotten about that and totally greed to go with his father to the ruins.

So they turned back around, leaving the Poké Mart when something strange happen.

A young woman in a red and green kimono stood in the way of Victor and Gill leaving. Her long black hair was tied into a heavy bun with multiple headbands and ribbons holding it up. She gracefully leaned towards Gill, looking at him and the egg in his hands.

"Very interesting," the young woman said. "I wonder if you're him."

"Excuse me?" Gill asked.

"Nothing," the kimono girl said before giggling as she left the Poké Mart.

Gill raised an eyebrow up, turning to his father with a confused look on his face. Victor could only shrug his shoulders before taking the lead to take Gill to the ruins. Gill complied as he hid the Pokémon Egg in his bag for safe keeping. His pack was still fairly empty so the egg had plenty of space and wouldn't be crushed.

Gill quickly ran over to his father, catching up to him as they made their way south.

* * *

Victor led Gill to the ruins that were southwest of Violet City. Gill was simply amazed by the sheer size of the ruins with several caves all around it, some of which needed to be swam to in order to reach. There were lab areas set up close to the gate they came from, which is where Victor needed to report to.

Gill followed his father into the lab where they met one of the researchers there. Her name was Misha Martin, she was an attractive older woman with dark-blonde hair that was tied into a ponytail. She wore tan clothing that kept her cool during her long hours in the cave as she tried to investigate the mystery behind the Ruins of Alph.

"Hello Victor," said Misha. She leaned over to Victor's side, seeing Gill behind him. A soft smile formed on her lips as she straightened herself up to face Victor again. "I'm assuming that he's your son? We've only heard you talking about him nonstop for the past two days."

Victor felt embarrassed a little, while Gill giggled for a second. The Champion recomposed himself though as he grabbed Gill and dragged him up to the research. "Yes, this is my boy," said Victor. "Gill, this is Misha. She is one of the head researchers here at the Ruins of Alph. She is trying to understand the mysteries left behind by the Pokémon called Unown."

"Unown?" Gill repeated softly.

"Yes," said Misha. "They are an interesting group of Pokémon that represent our alphabet. All ancient writing seems to be written using the symbols that the Unown represent. Ancient stories of the Pokémon World lay buried behind the mysteries of the Unown." She grabbed a chart from her desk, which she handed over to Gill. The young boy looked at it, seeing the comparisons between the Unown and their alphabet. "Your father is helping with the research since the Pokémon League want to better understand Pokémon as well. Especially, the mysteries behind the Legendary Pokémon from each of the different regions. Apparently, Unown appear through the world, leaving behind more clues for us to solve."

"Cool," Gill said, smiling.

"Very cool," Misha said, smiling at the boy. "You know, Victor, I'm beginning to like your son already."

Gill blushed this time, while Victor just laughed before suggesting they should return to the cave.

Misha agreed as she showed them the way. As they walked the short length to a separate cave to the north of the actual ruins, Misha asked about Gill's Gym Battle. Victor bailed out on their investigation early to see how it went. Gill announced his victory over Falkner, showing off the Gym Badge as proof.

The researcher was impressed that a Trainer as inexperienced as Gill won on his first try. She mentioned how her brother was a Trainer that had been training in the Hoenn Region for a while before moving back to Johto.

They made it to a small cave though that seemed to Gill more a part of the actual ruins then they let on. There were symbols all over the wall that Gill recognized from the chart that Misha showed him. They were all of the Unown, but there were Ancient Pokémon that appeared on the walls as well.

Misha took them to the center of the room where a tablet laid broken in pieces. She explained that they believed by fixing this tablet that they might be able to find out more things about the ruins. They had no luck fixing it though, which is when she turned to Gill, sharing that she heard from Victor that he was an awesome puzzle solver.

Gill was a little embarrassed as he agreed with her. Misha then asked if he'd like to give it a try when he said yes. Gill made his way over to the broken tablet, looking at it to see where he'd even begin.

The first trick was to find all the pieces that were of the edges. He scanned throughout the broken remains for those ones and arranged them to how he saw fit. The rest of the time was trying to figure out what went in the center. Misha and Victor watched Gill as he went to work on this, it took him about an hour before he finally finished it, much to their shock.

Gill gave out a great sigh as he turned around to face Misha and Victor. "Well, I think that's it," he said, calmly. "It looks like a Pokémon to me, but you can be the judge of that."

As Misha and Victor made their way towards the tablet, there was a slight rumble that left them all in shock. Part of the wall began to move that no doubt led to a secret chamber. Misha was so ecstatic to see this that she kissed Gill with pure joy for finding this for her. She ran into the chamber with Gill and Victor following behind her.

They were all inside to see more symbols of the Unown throughout the wall. There were four pedestals too that contained different items on top of them. None of them were sure how long they had been there, but they seemed to be fully-functional items that could be use by a Trainer. Victor gathered them up and handed them over to Gill, explaining that they were all berries that did wonders for healing Pokémon. Gill accepted them with joy as he put them into a special pocket in his bag.

Misha was still amazed by what she was seeing as she wandered deeper into the ruins. Victor and Gill followed her to another pedestal area that contained an Ancient Pokémon that was on the tablet that Gill fixed, only this one was much clearer. Beside it was a fossil that Misha retrieved and brought it to the others.

"That's a Kabuto," said Misha. "Kabuto is a Pokémon from the ancient times. Whoever built these ruins obviously knew enough about the Fossil Pokémon or these were built in the times of the Fossil Pokémon." She handed the fossil over to Gill. "Take this too. You unlocked the chamber for us, it is only right that you get to keep the fossil as well." Gill accepted this as well before looking back at the statue.

Misha and Victor noticed something off. They made their way to the statue, feeling a slight draft behind it. They began to push the statue until it was moved completely to the side to reveal and opening within the chamber. Gill went over to them, suggesting that they go down it to see what was behind it.

Victor agreed, checking to make sure that it was just a tunnel. So far so good as he said. Misha and him each took out a flashlight and made their way inside the tunnel with Gill following behind them. They wandered down the tunnel for an unknown length of time before the ground beneath them completely collapsed.

Each of them panicked as they plummeted down to unknown depths. Victor reacted quickly, sending his Dragonite out from his Pokéball. The Dragon-type Pokémon caught each one of them and was easily able to fly down this large pit. It took only a few minutes for Dragonite to reach the bottom, which Victor and Misha were amazed to see that they were in the actual Ruins of Alph.

Gill looked around, seeing more symbols of the Unown. Victor returned Dragonite to his Pokéball before he rejoined Gill and Misha. They were all amazed that the tunnel led them all the way down to here and wondered if the other caverns did the same thing.

It was a mystery in the mystery though, but it provided some new information for them as they began to walk towards the exit.

However, as they approached the doorway, something strange happened. The symbols of the Unown began to glow as a mass of black some things began to descend from the ceiling. Gill's first reaction was to panic as he clung onto his father for protection. Misha hid behind the Champion as well, both adults looking up to see what was happening.

That was until the black mass revealed open several eyes before splitting apart. Misha gasped with shock as she announced each one to be Unown. Gill opened his eyes and joined Victor with an amazing gasp. The Unown spiraled around them with Gill pulling away from his father as he mindlessly walked away.

Four Unown descended open him, circling around him before raising back up to spell something.

"What are they spelling?" Victor asked Misha.

"If I'm not mistaken," said Misha, "that says Ho-Oh."

"What's that?" Gill asked, turning back to the research.

"A Legendary Pokémon of Johto," said Misha.

All the Unown disappeared at that point, vanishing in a mass of violet energy. They were all left in shock, wondering if that really just happened. Gill was left wondering what that could've meant, begging for Misha to tell him more about this Ho-Oh. She didn't have much information for him though and explained that he would need to go to Ecruteak City if he wanted to learn more about Ho-Oh.

Gill was determined to go straight to Ecruteak City until Victor stopped him from moving. He grabbed onto his son's arm, dragging him back into reality. "You do not need to go chasing down a legend, Gill," said Victor. "Focus on your journey to become a Pokémon Master. First you need to go to Azalea town then to Goldenrod City. Once you bet the Gym Leaders of each town then you can go straight to Ecruteak City and challenge their Leader, and learn about the legends if you wish."

"Alright dad," Gill said, caving in to his dad's orders. "So what do I do now? How do I get to Azalea Town?"

"You keep going south down Route 32 until you reach the Union Cave," said Misha. "You go through the cave and it will take you straight to Azalea Town. Thanks again, Gill. You provided me with a lot more research data to help me crack the mystery of the Unown."

"No problem," Gill said, softly. "Well, I guess this is goodbye then."

"It was nice meeting you, Gill," Misha said as she left the ruins.

Victor stayed behind with his son, his hands wrapped around his chest. He began to walk up to his son and helped him get out of the ruins before anymore strange things happened. Once they were outside, he hugged his son, getting a hug back from Gill as well.

"Be careful," said Victor, "and try not to get into too much trouble. Just call me or your mother if you need anything."

"I will," Gill said, softly. "Bye dad."

"Bye son."

Gill turned away, making his way back to Route 32 to resume his journey, wiping a stray tear away before it was too late.


	6. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Hehe, I love this chapter! Mostly because the SilverXGill yumminess involved with this chapter. Read and see what happens! Don't forget to leave some pretty reviews.

**Chapter 5:**

With the odd adventure at the Ruins of Alph finished, Gill made his way down Route 32 to resume his journey down to Azalea Town. Azalea Town was where he would have his next Gym Battle to gain his second Gym Badge in the Johto League. Gill checked on his map to see that he would need to pass the Union Cave, something which he decided that he would wait until morning to do.

There was a Pokémon Center not too far from the cave, which is where he planned to spend the night at.

Gill kept on walking down the grassy field with Pokémon walking around, not bothering to pay him a second glance. He would scan each one on his Pokédex though before they left just so he could see how cautious he should be of them. That was one of the many tidbits of advice that his father gave him before his journey to become a Pokémon Master began. Gill made sure to heed his father's advice for his own safety and the safety of his Pokémon.

As Gill kept walking down Route 32, he eventually crossed paths with a young girl. This light-skinned girl was walking along the opposite direction, looking as if she was heading towards Violet City. She was wearing a green, camping dress with a matching hat on her head. She had her Pokégear out and was mindlessly chatting away on it, paying no attention to Gill as she crashed right into him.

The young boy had been trying to avoid the girl, but with every step he took she was following. It was no fault of Gill's that they finally crashed into each other with the girl dropping her Pokégear in the process and stumbled back into the grass. However, she was the one to blame him though for what happened.

"You need to pay attention to where you're going, jerk!" shouted the girl. "I was on the phone with my best friend, Lorie! That was a very important conversation too! Ugh!" The girl was fuming mad as she got back, even though she had no right too. She was the one who ran into Gill, but she wasn't able to realize that and move on from the subject. "You know what; you're a Trainer, right? I challenge you to a Trainer Battle, right now!"

"Wait, but you're the one who ran into me!" Gill shouted as he threw her the Pokégear. He was grateful that he didn't fall back, especially since the Pokémon Egg was in his backpack. He didn't want to endanger the young egg of a baby Pokémon. "You need to pay attention to where you're walking, not talking!"

The girl snatched the Pokégear in mid-air and stuffed it into her pocket. "You're a rude jerk!" she shouted at him. "I'll show you to be nicer to girls! Nidoran, come on out, girl!" She tossed a Pokéball forward with a blast of light coming out from it. The Pokémon that came out from it was a small, porcupine-like creature with light-blue skin and a sharp front tooth. Gill scanned it, learning that it was the female version of the Nidoran family.

So Gill chose to send out his Dratini to take care of this one. The Dragon-type Pokémon came out with a soft cry escaping her as she glared daggers at the female Nidoran. The girl called out for her Pokémon to use Poison Sting which led to Nidoran shooting out a poisonous dart from the horn on her head. Gill ordered for his Dratini to get out of the way before sending of a Twister to crash into the Nidoran.

Dratini's attack hit her mark, knocking her opponent out with one attack. Gill could only assume that this Trainer was even less experienced then he was, which was going to make it all the more easier. Gill kept his Dratini out just as the girl recalled her Pokémon and sent out another Nidoran, but the male equivalent. This one appeared slightly similar, only with far more spikes, a pinker color, and a sharper horn and tooth.

The girl's male Nidoran seemed stronger or at least more aggressive then the female one. The girl ordered for Nidoran to Double Kick, which he did so and gave Dratini two nasty kicks that sent her flying back. Gill gasped as he saw that this Pokémon had a lot more power than the last one. So he had to act fast by bringing his defense down before Dratini had to suffer any more damage.

Gill called for a Leer, which Dratini gave using a nasty stare at the Nidoran. The pink Pokémon looked as if he was shivering a little bit so that gave Gill an opening to strike. The girl recovered though and issued another Double Kick and Gill cried out for an ExtremeSpeed. Nidoran and Dratini were racing after each other, crashing into each other in the process. The two Pokémon went flying back with Nidoran being knocked out and Dratini struggling to stay awake for this one.

"You did it!" Gill cheered for his Pokémon. "We won. Now, Dratini, you should rest up until I can get you to a Pokémon Center." He held up his Pokéball, aiming it at his Dratini. She went back into her Pokéball to take that long rest that sounded so tempting to her. He stuffed it back into his pocket, while watching the girl as she recalled her last Pokémon.

"I guess I should've paid a little more attention to where I was walking," the girl said, softly. "I'm sorry for being so rude." She opened the little pack on her sides, taking out a blue stone from it in the process. She ran over to Gill and handed it over to him. "This is a Water Stone. It's a special stone that can make certain Pokémon evolve, it can only be used once so use it wisely."

Gill smiled as he accepted the gift from her and placed it in his bag. "Thanks," he said to her. "I'll be sure to use it when I really need it."

"Well, good luck then," said the girl. "Sorry again!"

The girl began to walk away, leaving Gill to resume his journey down Route 36.

* * *

Gill found his way near the water once more. There was a large lake with a bridge over it that was safe enough to cross. He could've either gone through there or walked along the grass path that he was a little sick of. So he decided to go for the water since that was something a little different and he because he wanted to see if he could catch a Water-type Pokémon.

As he was crossing the bridge, Gill could see tracks for the Magnet Train that went across Johto and Kanto. The silver-gray tracks sparkled across the sunlight and the glistening water beneath it. It was a fairly pretty sigh that Gil seemed to enjoy as he crossed the bridge that would take him straight to the Pokémon Center where he'd rest up for the night. He couldn't wait until he reached a warm bed, especially from the long day that he had at the Gym, the Ruins, and just plain walking all the way here.

"I can't wait until I can get something to eat," Gill said to himself. "Sigh, I can't believe just how lonely this journey is. I wish there was someone else here with me."

For a minute, Gill thought back to what his father said about training with him. The boy knew that the offer would still be on the table and he wondered about his dad coming with him on his Pokémon Journey. Then again, that would be a terribly unfair advantage that he had. Any Gym Badges or titles he'd earn wouldn't be from his own merit, it would be because of his father.

There was Lyra though, but she was too busy living her life in Goldenrod City. His older sister wasn't too into the Pokémon Journey thing after a while. She decided that city life suited her more than training Pokémon and becoming the next greater Trainer.

Even his mom was out of the question, she just wanted a nice, peaceful life.

So for now, Gill was just going to have to suck it up and tolerate being on his own.

To snap out of all this depressing mess, Gill finally caught sight of something that really caught his attention. The water was beginning to ripple a tiny bit with a Pokémon leaping out from it. Gill was immediately shocked by this and jumped back, originally frightened that it would turn out to be something as terrifying as a Gyrados. After his scare settled, Gill took out his Pokédex to scan it so he'd know what he was dealing with.

The Pokémon turned out to be a Poliwag. The adorable, tadpole Pokémon with a black and white swirl on the front of his chest with a semi-transparent tail began to walk around on the bridge. He spun himself around and looked at Gill for a moment before blowing a few bubbles from his pink lips over at Gill. The blue bubbles began to pop around him, leaving behind a tingling sensation against Gill's skin.

Poliwag began to dance around, thinking that he did well. He began to run over to Gill with his little tail moving around as he got closer to the boy. Gill looked down at the Pokémon, trying to figure out what was going on and why he was so close to him.

"Poli!" the Pokémon said, excitedly. "Poli."

"Do you want to play, little one?" asked Gill.

"Poli!" The Pokémon cheered as he snatched a Pokéball from Gill. He then began to run away from the bridge with Gill quickly chasing after him to get Cyndaquil back from the Poliwag. But once the Poliwag left the bridge, the Pokéball opened with Cyndaquil stepping out from it, not looking happy at the Poliwag.

"Cyndaquil!" shouted the fire-mouse Pokémon. "Cynda!" A bolt of Ember escaped from his mouth as fire began to shoot from his back. Gill gulped as he reached the very end of the bridge and Poliwag got hit with full force. Despite being a Water-type, Poliwag was still taken down by the fire attack, his eyes rolling back as the Pokéball rolled back to Gill.

The young Trainer only sighed as he returned Cyndaquil to his Pokéball. Cyndaquil seemed happy about what he did as he returned to the Pokéball to resume his nap. Gill chuckled a little because he caught sight of Cyndaquil's prideful look. He stuffed the Pokéball and began to notice the Poliwag, remembering that he did want a Water-type. So Gill threw an empty Pokéball at the unconscious Poliwag, catching him without any trouble at all.

Gill cheered for himself as he caught himself a new Pokémon.

* * *

It took about ten minutes from there on and evening was quickly approaching, but Gill arrived to the Pokémon Center on Route 32. The center was surrounded by lots of trees to give it a more relaxing feel that made Gill think of it more of being a cabin. The romantic inside of him thought of a quite cabin in the woods away from any trouble of the city or suburbs. It was just a nice, quiet place to get away from all of that and enjoy the little things in life.

Gill ran to the Pokémon Center so he could hurry up and get a decent room for the night. To his misfortune though, the place was nearly packed with Trainers though. So when Gill went over to Nurse Joy to get his Pokémon tended to, he learned that nearly all the rooms were taken. The only ones still left were the double rooms, which meant that he was going to get a roommate for the night.

Damn his luck, but he took the first room that she offered him. Gill thanked her and took the keys as he walked away from the counter. As he got further away though, the egg in his egg began to shake for a moment. Thinking that now was the time, Gill snatched the egg out from his backpack and watched as if it were about to hatch. However, it was only a false alarm. The egg was only showing signs of hatching, but it was far from ready to hatch.

Another sting of disappointment hit Gill as he got the egg situated back into his pack. He decided to make this a little better by going to the cafeteria to get some dinner before going to bed to end this exhausting day. Yeah, that sounded like an excellent plan to him. While his Pokémon were getting healed and fed, he would stuff his own tummy with all the food that he could get.

So Gill shuffled his way to the cafeteria and got some delicious food. He was honestly surprised by how well the food at the Pokémon Centers was. He had heard bad things from Lyra, but he figured that the Pokémon League cracked down on the centers' staff to prepare better food for the Trainers that were there. Gill was paying good money for it either way so he was expecting decent food that wouldn't kill him or make him sick for days.

With a plate full of food, Gill decided to try and find a place to sit. Gill was on the lookout for any seats, but most of them were all filled up with other Trainers. There was only one seat that he could see at the far end of the room with only one other Trainer there. Without any thinking on his part, Gill went over to that table and asked the Trainer sitting there if he mined him sitting with him.

Gill was in for a surprise though when he saw flaming, red hair mixed with familiar gray eyes. Gill gulped as he quickly recognized Silver, wanting to strongly face palm himself for not recognizing the intimidating boy in the first place. Even asking to sit there was beginning to feel like a really bad idea for Gill as he stood there like an awkward dummy.

"You may sit here," Silver said, as he slowly lifted up his cup of water. His rosy lips wrapped around the ends, taking in the refreshing liquid that was rehydrating his body. His gray eyes shifted back to Gil who continued to stand over his shoulder. "Sit!" Silver shouted at him with his famous ferocity.

Gill nearly dropped his food as he sat down at the table, his hazel colors eyes just focused solely on the older Trainer. Silver didn't seem to be bothered so much by Gill's presence as he returned to eating his fried rice. Gill eventually calmed himself down too, shrugging out of his messenger bag before he finally began to eat.

It only took a few chews before Gill began to open his big mouth.

"So, are you headed to Azalea Town too?" Gill asked Silver. "That means you'll need to go through the Union Cave."

"I'm aware of that," Silver said before eating a spoonful of rice.

Gill picked at his own bowl of rice and vegetables, still trying to figure out how to make conversation with Silver. He didn't know why he seemed to be trying so hard with the older boy, especially since Silver was a hateful jerk who didn't like him at all. Gill figured that it was just the Elder's words that were still bothering him about the nature of their rivalry relationship.

"I guess you just decided to stay here the night too," Gill chuckled nervously. "I figured it would be smart to wait till morning before going into the cave. It seemed safer that way. What about you, Silver? You trying to take the easy way out?"

Silver only shook his head as he avoided making eye contact with the hazel-eyed boy. It was annoying him to no end as to why the boy wouldn't shut up. They were just eating dinner together, it's not like they were best friends now and were going to be braiding each other's hair next. Wait, only girls did that, what did guys do with their friends? Like Silver knew, he doesn't do the whole friendship deal.

"It's called strategy," Silver hissed at Gill. "My Pokémon were exhausted from all my training so I needed to heal them before braving the cave. There are a lot of Trainers and wild Pokémon in there. Only an idiot would go in there with Pokémon who aren't at their full strength. And since it was so late already, I knew I needed to get some rest too before I made any foolish mistakes in the cave."

"Oh," Gill said, amazed that Silver even said so much. "That does seem like a good plan."

"I know it is, I don't need your seal of approval," Silver said, extra fierce.

Gill flinched from Silver's harsh words and no longer bothered to say anything else after that. He just ate his food in silence, afraid to say anything else to Silver for fear of getting yelled at again. Silver seemed to enjoy the silence now too. Although, the other Trainers who tried to sit with him were far worse than Gill especially the yappy girls. Silver had no attention of involving himself in any way with the fairer sex. He was finally able to finish eating the rest of his meal in silence, which was something he enjoyed doing.

They both managed to finish eating at the same time and left the cafeteria around the same time as well. Gill stayed behind though since he heard a Trainer talking about getting back from Azalea Town three days ago. Gill heard of some trouble brewing there, but he also learned that the Gym Leader there was a Bug-type specialist. Gill already had a plan of which Pokémon who he was going to use against that Gym Leader was when he finally left the cafeteria.

He climbed up the stairs to the second floor for where his room was supposed to be. He turned the key and entered the small, two bed room. Little did the boy know that he was in for a second surprise that night. When he finally walked passed a wall that blocked his roommate, young Gill was forced into seeing Silver's naked back.

Silver turned around, exposing his naked torso more for Gill to see. The young boy gasped, lightly, with a slight blush growing on his cheeks as he looked at Silver. The older Trainer was even more muscular then Gill had assumed form the clothing he wore. It wasn't much of a difference, but there was an extra layer or two of lean muscle on there with Silver's six pack being clearly defined. His skin was without any blemish, his muscles were clear to be seen, and there was a trail of red hair that led from below the waistband of his underwear to his belly button.

"Oh great," Silver said as he unbuckled his pants, "you're my roommate."

"Sorry," Gill said, softly as he turned away.

"Don't bother," Silver said, calmly. "We're both boys. We have the same parts."

Gill turned back around, seeing Silver completely shrugging out of his jeans at that point. Silver threw his clothes at the end of his bed with his pack joining them. The red head climbed into bed, telling Gill to hurry up and do what he needed to do so he could turn off the light. Not long after he said that, Gill could hear Silver's faint breathing as the older boy drifted off into sleep.

Gill felt horribly embarrassed for walking in on Silver like that. He kept his distance from the older boy, changing in the corner that he couldn't be clearly seen at into his red and green pajamas. When he stuffed the rest of his clothes into his bag, he remade the bed of clothes for the egg so that it stayed warm. He placed his bag underneath the nightstand with the lid open so that in case the egg hatched it wouldn't be trapped.

With that done, Gill turned the lights off and crawled into bed, hiding the tightening feeling in his pants as he smelt Silver's musky scent.

* * *

Morning eventually came and Gill managed to get up before Silver did. The black haired boy didn't bother to say anything to Silver or attempt to even wake him up, especially after what happened at dinner the day before. He didn't want to relive that one as he got dressed, wishing he had taken the time to wash his clothes. Oh well, at least the capsule chamber had another set of clothes in there. Silph Co. really thought of everything when it came to catering to the needs of Pokémon Trainers on the road.

Gill finished getting dressed in silence, a soft sigh escaping him as he did so. He fished the egg out from his bag and held it against him as he went down to the cafeteria to get a quick breakfast before leaving. Lucky for him though that it was fairly empty downstairs, it seemed that most of the Trainers were sleeping in like Silver was. At least he didn't have to deal with anything awkward or the creepy glances at him and the Pokémon Egg.

Gill ate in silence, finishing his eggs and toast quickly enough before getting back up. He cleaned off the table and left to front counter of the Pokémon Center. He returned the bedroom key to one of the Chanseys on staff and managed to get his Pokémon back from her as well. After thanking the pink, egg-carrying Pokémon, Gill left the center so he could finally make his way to the Union Cave.

The large cave was completely rocky with a large opening at its center. According to legend, the cave was made by a hundred Onix and the water was brought in by the Slowpoke that inhabited Azalea Town. He wasn't sure how that worked, but Gill didn't seem to care as he slowly made his way towards the cave.

"You're seriously going to go in there on your own?" demanded a sharp voice. Gill spun his body around, nearly dropping the egg when he saw Silver walking towards him. Silver's red hair blew in the breeze that pushed his way with a slight grin on his face once he reached Gill. "Well, you are braver then I give you credit for." He crossed his arms over his chest as he stood beside Gill, staring at the cave. He shook his head before finally turning it to see the confused look on the boy's face. "I owe you one favor for not ratting me out to the cops. We can go into the cave together. Besides, I'd feel a little bad if a wimp like you ended up getting yourself hurt."

"I can take care of myself!" Gill finally snapped. "I did earn the Zephyr Badge because of my strength. I don't want your pity, Silver!"

"Good then, Gill," Silver said, smirking at him. "At least I know you can carry your own weight some. I was beginning to think I was the only one who got the Badge." He proved his point by unzipping his shirt, pulling the front back to show of the Zephyr Badge as well as partly exposing his chest to Gill.

Once more, Gill blushed at seeing Silver's exposed self, but Silver didn't seem to notice as he zipped himself back up. Silver pretty much ignored everything else about Gill as he walked over to the front of the cave with Gill following behind him after a minute. The two made it inside the Union Cave, instantly hit by the dampness of the cave mixed with the darkness inside of it.

Silver and Gill looked around the cave, seeing that there was hardly any light inside of the place. It was just enough though where they could see where they were going, but not enough so that they could see anything sneak up on them. Gill had heard about Trainers hiding in the cave just itching to pounce upon lost Trainers. Now, he was grateful that Silver was here in the cave with him, it made this scary journey a little less scary and lonely.

The two Trainers pushed themselves onward, journeying deeper into the cave before them.

Despite the extra company, it was as quite as ever for Gill. Silver didn't say a single word as he led the way always with one Pokéball in his hand, preparing himself in case anything jumped out on them. Gill decided to heed that bit of caution by taking out a Pokéball of his own. The boy was well aware that Rock-type Pokémon enjoyed caves so his Poliwag would come in handy. He carried both the Pokéball and the egg in his hands.

"What is with that egg of yours?" said Silver.

"It's a baby Pokémon," Gill said, softly. "I'm trying to hatch it for Professor Elm, you know, the guy who you stole the Totodile from!"

"Oh, you mean the idiot who is distracted by shiny objects?" laughed Silver. "You know, it wasn't that difficult at all to take Totodile from him. I just dropped a rare stone on the ground and he was too busy examining it, making it easier for me to break in to take the Pokéball. He didn't even realize anything was missing till I was gone."

All that anger he had channeled at Silver seemed to transfer over to Professor Elm now. Yeah, he was well aware of how distracted the professor could be. The man did get to forget to bathe that one time for days on end. If only Professor Elm was just a little more aware of his surroundings then none of this would've happened. Totodile would've gone to an actual, loving Trainer who would've raised him right.

Not a self-centered jerk like Silver. It pissed Gill off as he thought about how cruelly Silver was probably raising Totodile to be. It couldn't be healthy for any Pokémon to be around such a mean Trainer who had such a dim outlook on people and Pokémon. To Silver, they were just a tool to make himself stronger, he didn't love them, not like Gill did.

Gill wanted to yell at Silver, but he was cut off by a large roar.

The boys turned to the sides and saw a large Onix bursting forth from the rocky wall. Silver snatched onto Gill's arm and pulled him aside while he threw the Pokéball forward. There was a bright blast of light followed by a medium-sized Pokémon emerging form the Pokéball. Gill crashed against Silver's legs, dropping his Pokéball, but continued to hold onto the egg. He grabbed his Pokédex to scan this new Pokémon.

It was a medium-sized Pokémon called Croconaw, the evolved form of Totodile. The Pokémon was mostly blew with the occasional spots of yellow and red spikes appearing alone his spine. Croconaw gave out a deep growl as he jumped in front of the large Onix, taking a battle stance against the wild Pokémon.

"Croconaw," shouted Silver, "use Aqua Tail to knock it out with one hit!"

"Croconaw!" roared the Pokémon. His tail quickly became consumed with a torrent of water that he used to spring himself up into the air. Croconaw went rushing after the Onix that tried to smack him with his own large tail. However, the Water-type dodged it then used his tail to smack Onix on the head, knocking him out with one, critical hit.

The Onix crashed into the ground, completely unconscious with Silver sending Croconaw back into his Pokéball.

"And that's how its done," Silver said, huffing at the unconscious Onix. He spun himself back around, yanking a surprised Gill up to his feet without any real effort. "I'm assuming that your Cyndaquil hasn't reached his second stage yet, has it?"

"No," Gill whispered.

"It's because you're a weak Trainer," Silver said without any mercy. "My Totodile evolved before I went to face Falkner. It was an easy win for us. None of his Pokémon stood a chance against us. It was fantastic."

Silver stuffed his hands into his pockets and resumed walking with Gill staring at his fleeing figure for a moment before following him.

* * *

Even with all the patience that Gill promised himself to have, it wasn't enough to keep him from going off on Silver. After his persistent attempts to get a conversation circulating between the two, Silver just continued to rudely blow the boy off. Gill was passed frustrated as he stomped his way in front of Silver, blocking him from walking any further along the Union Cave.

Gray and hazel eyes locked against each other for a moment. Silver attempted to shove Gill out of his way, but the boy was standing his ground as he stood there with the egg against his chest. He glared at Silver, keeping it firm as he stared down the older Trainer.

"You know, you're a heartless jerk!" Gill finally snapped. Silver wasn't taken back at all by what Gill said. He only huffed at him like usual, but that only made Gill madder at him. "That's just it! Why do you always blow people off? Your antagonism will get you nowhere in life! You can't show any compassion for other people or even your own Pokémon! I don't understand how someone could be such a jerk to anyone!"

"You think I'm a jerk?" Silver snapped back. "Kid, you haven't seen anything yet! The world is full of evil people who use others and Pokémon. At least I don't lie about what I am. I keep it honest! I don't like people and Pokémon are only there for us to get stronger. Don't give me any of your bullshit about love and friendship because it's a lie! I learned from my father that you can't trust anyone but yourself. In the end, everyone fails you."

Silver stomped away from Gill, pushing the kid against the rocky wall as he did so. Gill's back bumped against it as he continued to cling onto the egg with his thin arms. "You're wrong!" Gill said, firmly. "Your father is wrong too. There is such thing as love and friendship! There is love everywhere and with friendship anything is possible! I learned that from my father."

"The Champion," Silver said, his back turned to Gill. The red headed boy was standing still with his hands stuffed into his pockets. "You're Gill Hart, the son of Victor Hart, the Champion of the Johto Region." Silver turned around, stomping his way back to Gill. He snatched the boy by the hood of his sweater and pushed him back against the wall.

The boys' chests were kept away from each other by the round egg in Gill's arms. Silver was fuming along with Gill as their gray and hazel eyes found their way to each other once more. Silver had his hand wound around the hood with the other over Gill's hands that protected the egg from him. Both boys were breathing heavily, neither one saying a word at this point.

Silver wanted to yell at Gill some more. He wanted to kick the boy's ass and show him just who the boss was around here. But he couldn't do that, the older boy found something in the boy's hazel eyes that wouldn't allow him to do just that. It annoyed him to no ends though that he just couldn't hit the boy in that pretty face of his where he deserved it.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Silver said, softly to Gill. "We'll find out soon enough if your dad or mine was right."

"It's mine," Gill told him. "I've seen it. Love and friendship is what makes us all stronger. It gives us the strength to do incredible things."

And in response to that, the egg began to shake between them both. There was a faint glow of light that formed with both boys looking down to see just what was about to happen. Both of their eyes reflected against the soft glow of the egg as it began to change shape. They were both surprised to witness a Pokémon hatching form its egg.

Out from the egg came a little, egg-like Pokémon with a cheery grin on his face. The Pokémon had tiny spikes on his head and its body was very similar to the egg it hatched from. Its little hands and feet were wiggling out of its egg-like body as it continued to give out cheerful cries.

"Togepi!"

"Togepi?" Gill whispered. Silver broke away from Gill for a moment, surprised that he witnessed something like this. As he did so, Gill spun the Pokémon around so that it was looking at him. The Togepi gave out a louder cry as it reached out to Gill, smiling at the boy who he thought was his momma. It was cute enough to make Gill grin as he held the Pokémon closer to him.

However, the Togepi caught sight of Silver too. The baby Pokémon's little hands reached out to him as well, thinking him to be his poppa. The way Togepi responded to Silver was very surprising and Gill had to think quickly in order to get Togepi to calm down because Silver wanted nothing to do with her.

Gill scanned Togepi, learning that it was in fact a girl and instantly thoughts her parents were the first people/Pokémon that it came across. "How did I end up being the mother here?" Gill asked, mostly to himself. "I should be the poppa, not a jerk like you."

"It's because I'm far more masculine then you are," Silver said as he continued to keep his distance. "Why did that dumb egg of yours decide to hatch now?"

"Maybe because she responded to my words of love," Gill said, while holding Togepi closely. "I'll raise you right, baby girl. You'll receive plenty of love and care from your momma."

"Togei!" cried the baby Pokémon.

Gill didn't bother to hide his smile as he reached into his bag, feeding the little Pokémon. Silver just turned away, walking onward as he fought the smile that wanted to form on his face. He didn't want to admit it to himself that it felt nice being that close to Gill or that he did in fact like the little Pokémon in Gill's arms.

* * *

For the rest of their journey through the cave, Gill found himself distracted by taking care of Togepi, which made Silver happy. Now he didn't have to hear Gill's incisive whining for a nice change. He could focus just on getting out of his damn cave and from what he could tell on the map, they were almost to the exit for Azalea Town.

The two kept on walking down the cave with Gill now caught up to Silver. The two Trainers were walking beside each other when they finally caught sight of light. It was not but a mile or two away from them, the cave's exit was right in front of them.

The two started to run to the exit with Togepi cheering loudly only to be blocked off as two, oddly dressed men jumped out from behind the rocks. Each one was dressed like a fiery clown with their shirts open and their fat guts hanging out. Gill held the urge to vomit as he covered the Togepi's eyes, while Silver jumped in front of them both without even thinking about it.

"What do you circus freaks want?" shouted Silver. "Get the fuck out of our way so we can get out of here."

"Not before you can beat us in battle!" said one of the clowns. "The exit is blocked until then."

"You need to defeat the twin Firebreathers on a two-on-two battle in order to reach Azalea Town!" said the other.

"Fine then!" Gill shouted at them. "It's on then!"

Silver turned back, seeing Gill continuing to hold onto Togepi as he fished out a Pokéball. The look of determination in those innocent eyes spoke to Silver as a soft smirk formed on his face. The red headed boy responded by taking out a Pokéball of his own as the two Firebreathers each sent out a Magmar.

The medium sized Fire-type Pokémon looked hot and vicious, which meant they were going to need to be cooled down. Silver and Gill sent out their Water Pokémon since they were perfect for the job ahead of them. Croconaw and Poliwag entered the make-shift battlefield so that they could bust their way out of there.

The Magmar tried to get the better of them with smokescreen. It played to their advantage though since it blinded the Trainers and their Pokémon, making it difficult to see where they would come from next. That's when the Firebreathers issued a Fire Punch from each of their Magmar, which was delivered from the smoky mess. Poliwag and Croconaw flew from the smoke cloud, each one landing against the rocky wall.

A growl escaped Silver as he demanded for Croconaw to get back up. His Pokémon did so without hesitation as he growled to power himself up. Poliwag managed to bounce back up too, which something that Gill felt good about as he issued him to use a Hypnosis. Poliwag seemed to like that idea as he send out his hypnotic attack. It seemed to affect one of the Magmar, but not the other.

The second Magmar was rushing after Poliwag, the Trainer ordering him to use a Fire Punch. As a flaming fist formed, Gill was caught off guard, which led to Silver thinking and reacting fast. He issued an Aqua Tail from Croconaw that led to the Pokémon bathing his tail with a torrent of water and used it to block the fiery fist of the Magmar. Their two attacks cancelled each other out, sending both Pokémon sliding back across the rocky ground.

"Smog!" yelled the Firebreather.

Poisonous vapor began to spew from the Magmar's mouth. Silver ordered for a Water Gun, which Croconaw used to distill the vapor with the rest of the torrential water smashing the Magmar into an unconscious state.

With one of the Magmar down, Gill decided to hold up his end of the deal. He called for Poliwag to use his Water Gun to send the sleeping Magmar flying back before finishing it off with Bubble. With a combination of the powerful water and pretty bubbles, the two attacks knocked the Magmar out without any difficulty, ending the battle between the two.

The Firebreathers began to run away, running to the other end of the cave passed Gill and Silver. The boys sent their Pokémon back into their Pokéballs, resuming their walk to the exit. Once they reached the exit, they were greeted by the bright sun and fresh air that wasn't heavy with humidity.

"Thanks for the save back there," Gill told Silver.

"Whatever," Silver said as he walked away from Gill. "I held up my end of the bargain, our 'partnership' is officially terminated. Try not to be such a wimp because the next time we meet, I'm kicking you ass in a Pokémon Battle."

"You know," Gill said, calling after Silver, "I don't understand why you always have to be such a jerk. You need to be a little more loving!"

Silver ignored anything else that Gill had to say as he left to train his Pokémon before his battle at Azalea Town.

Gill was left standing there, Togepi still in his arms. The baby Pokémon was fussing as she tried to get Silver to come back to her, but that was never going to happen. A soft sigh escaped Gill as he held the Pokémon closer to him and kissed her on the forehead.

"Forget about him, little one," he whispered to her. "He is a jerk anyways. You wouldn't want anything to do with him."

Gill fished out an empty Pokéball from his pocket and sent her away just as the clouds gathered with rain slowly beginning to come down.


	7. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Haha. Well, I finished a nice little chapter for all you people. It's a little more action packed, but yeah. Haha. So just a little info for all you readers. I'm starting my Power Rangers fan fic in April so that means I'm going to have to scale back on two updates, but there is good news! I'm planning on finishing my Twilight fic by the end of June. If I finish sooner then great, if not then well, you know my battle plan. Please don't hate me! Or hate my Power Rangers fic. It's a big project I'm planning and I've been dying to start it for three months now. Well, that's all I need to say. P.S. the next two chapters will have some SilverXGill action to hopefully make up for it! :]

PS! Those of you having trouble updating your stories, when you get the error page look at the URL and switch the word properties with content! It works!

**Chapter 6:**

The incident at the Union Cave still bothered Gill as he traversed through Route 33 with his new Togepi. He was thinking about calling Professor Elm to notify him that the egg had already hatched, but he was afraid that Elm would ask the how. It would be difficult for Gill to figure out a good way to explain this to the professor without raising any suspicions about Silver. So he decided it would be best to wait until he got to Azalea Town before calling the professor, it would give him a little more time to think.

Route 33 flashed by in seconds as Gill passed by the famous Slowpoke Well that led into town. He noticed a few shady figures around the well, but he didn't pay them too much attention. So long as they didn't bring any trouble to him then he didn't care what was going on. He just kept his focus on getting to town that way he could hurry up and begin his Gym Battle with the next Gym Leader.

However, he began to think more about his last encounter with Silver back at the cave. Silver's Totodile had already evolved into his second-stage. He was already that much stronger of a Trainer then he was. Despite fighting like a total jerk and training his Pokémon brutally, Silver was way more ahead of Gill's current level. The young boy was barely making it anywhere the way he was now. He needed to become stronger, he needed for his Pokémon to become stronger, but treating Pokémon like his slaves wasn't the right way to do it.

Gill was certain of that much.

So as the young Trainer crossed into the gates of town, something very odd caught his eyes. First of all, the people around the gate seemed a little terrified as Gill crossed the gate. Many of which began to run inside with some, pink Pokémon in their hands. That's when Gill realized that they were carrying Slowpoke, which didn't seem that odd since rumors said that Azalea Town worshiped Slowpoke for their ability to "cause rain".

No, what really caught Gill's attention was that missing something. He squinted his eyes a little and noticed that something was off about the Slowpokes that straggled around. As he started to get closer into the heart of the small town, it was then that Gill saw that the Slowpoke were missing their tails! A horrified gasp escaped him as he saw this, covering his Togepi's eyes in the process so she didn't need to see that.

"Who would do such a thing?" he whispered. The young Trainer stared at the helpless Slowpoke as they cowered around in a circle, each one missing part of their tail. The white tip was gone, leaving behind the pink stubble, a shame of what was once their pride. Gill had heard rumors of when a Slowpoke caught a Shellder with their tail then they'd evolve into Slowbro. For these Slowpoke that would forever remain a dream.

Gill wanted to weep for these defenseless Pokémon as he asked in horror who could've done this.

"It's that no good Team Rocket that's doing this," said one of the townsmen.

"Team Rocket?" Gill said as he turned around. A man around his early thirties was standing behind the young Trainer. The man wore an intense glare on his face, his face scratchy from his beard, and his clothes slightly torn from age. Gill shook his head though as he approached the man with Togepi still in his arms. "But that's impossible, sir. Team Rocket's leader was defeated three years ago in Kanto by the Pokémon Champion of Kanto. Why would they be in Johto now after all this time?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, son," said the townsman. "All we know is that Team Rocket started to attack the Slowpoke, stealing their tails, and sealing them off to market. They're supposedly shipping the tails off to Mahogany Town to be sold off to the black market. It just sickens me what these monsters do! Nobody in town can do anything to stop them either. They've even defeat our Gym Leader, Bugsy."

"No!" Gill said, horrified to hear that. "Even a Gym Leader couldn't handle Team Rocket?"

"Unfortunately," said the townsman. "We tried calling the Pokémon League for assistance and Office Jenny even tried to call for assistance from the National Police League, but communications have been jammed. Those miserable grunts from Team Rocket are really putting a damper on our town. And since we're the furthest point south in Johto and so well isolated, nobody knows of our plight."

"Someone has to stop these monsters," said Gill. "I have to try and do something to help."

"Good luck with that, kid," said the townsman. "All the Trainers in town are rallying up at the Pokémon Center, you should try there."

The townsman left after that, leaving Gill with a super bad taste in his mouth. Gill remembered the reason why his parents left the Kanto Region in the first place. It was because Team Rocket was running wild that they fled for the safety of Johto and all seemed well when Team Rocket disbanded a few years later. Now though, Team Rocket was trying to make a comeback, which wasn't a good thing.

Gill knew all the horrific stories of the criminal syndicate known as Team Rocket. His parents told him how dangerous those criminals were and how they'd like to attack Trainers along their journeys. So long as Team Rocket was around, it would be dangerous for Trainers to journey one their own without any means to protect themselves. It was frightening for Gill as he thought about just how much danger he could be with Team Rocket running rampant once more.

"I have to try and call dad," he whispered as he got his Pokégear.

But all he got was static though as he dialed his father's number. He gave up after the third time and this time tried to call Lyra. He got the same response when he tried to call her so he tried his mother next. The same thing happened so he made his last call, desperately trying to call Falkner from Violet City.

Nothing, nothing but silence responded to Gill's desperate calls.

So Gill gave up trying to call help as he walked over to the Pokémon Center to see if he could help with the Trainers gathering there.

* * *

It wasn't too hard to find the Pokémon Center in such a small town. Gill found it after only five minutes of searching and he entered the doors just in time to see a rallying mass of Trainers. It looked like every Trainer in town was there, each one yelling about the Team Rocket menace that was plaguing their town.

Nurse Joy was amongst the rallying Trainers, trying to calm them down before they caused a massive riot inside the center. She sent out her squad of Chansey to help calm the Trainers down that way they could talk about a proper course of action. From what Gill picked through the scattered conversations, Team Rocket had been in town for over two weeks and have been making their lives a living hell since then. It bothered Gill to hear this as he really prayed he could've gotten a hold of his dad to help them out.

"Bugsy was defeated and is now their prisoner in the Gym!" shouted a Trainer. "We need to take these punks down now!"

"Yeah!" shouted a group of Trainers.

"We need to see Kurt though," said another Trainer. "He'll know exactly what we should do!"

"I heard he used to fight Team Rocket when they attacked the Kanto Region," said another Trainer.

"Let's go get Kurt then!" said a group of Trainers.

There was an explosion though that went off in the Pokémon Center that disabled the rallying mass of Trainers. Smoke began to cloud the place as everyone cried out in terror. Gill was knocked into the wall by the fleeing Trainers as sinister laughter began to fill the air. His vision was blocked by the smoke cloud that he stood no chance of seeing what was going on or to prevent anyone from trampling over him.

He shielded the Togepi in his arms, cowering as close as he could in the corner. His breath grew shaky as he tried to cough out the smoke that was starting to drown his lungs. That's when he heard somebody yelling at him and a pair of hands latching onto him, shaking him mercilessly. The boy kicked his attacker in what he thought was his shins, forcing him to be released.

Gill took off outside the center to see the chaos that was plaguing Azalea Town. It was there that he saw the members of Team Rocket attacking the town. The black uniforms they wore with a large, red R on their chests were a dead giveaway. Gill recognized these nightmarish uniforms from the past new articles he saw in his father's study.

The grunts were attacking the town, some getting trapped into battles with Trainers and the police force.

"Brat!" shouted a dark voice behind him.

Gill spun himself around to see a grunt emerging from the Pokémon Center. Well, he knew who attacked him and who he kicked now at least. It was a member of Team Rocket who tried to attack him and it made Gill nervous as he took a few steps back. He took out an empty Pokéball and sent Togepi into it, while pulling out another.

"You're gonna get it now, runt!" shouted the grunt.

"Poliwag, use Water Gun!" Gill shouted as he released a Pokéball.

Poliwag came out from the Pokéball just in time to follow his Trainer's commands. The Tadpole took in a breath of air before releasing a powerful stream of water at the Team Rocket Grunt. It knocked the grunt against the center, knocking him out as he dropped the Pokéball in his hand. The grunt slumped down to the ground, completely unconscious as Gill gave out a soft sigh.

He returned Poliwag into his Pokéball and kept his eyes open for any other grunts coming his way. He didn't see anyone else so he took in a deep breath as he continued to watch the mayhem that was plaguing the town. The grunts continued their battle with Trainers and the officers, while they terrorized the town, some of which were retreating to the Slowpoke Well.

A Trainer sprang up behind Gill, nearly making the boy jump out of his skin. The young woman apologized before pointing Gill around in the opposite direction. "Team Rocket heard about our plan and decided to go with a preemptive strike. You need to go to Kurt's place and get him," she told him. "He's the only one who is strong enough to back us up in fighting Team Rocket. He lives right down the road from the center. Can you do that?"

"Sure," Gill said as the female Trainer pointed him towards Kurt's house.

"Hurry!" she shouted. "I'll try and keep Team Rocket distracted so they won't know where you're going."

Gill nodded his head as he took off at full speed, while the female Trainer went off to battle two grunts at once.

* * *

A scream escaped through the feudal style house that Gill was running up to. He saw the doors were torn open and a few Team Rocket grunts running into the house to attack its inhabitants. Gill growled as he pulled out a Pokéball and ran up the steps to do something about those monsters.

"Where is Kurt, you little shit!" shouted a grunt.

"Tell us where he is now!" shouted another.

"Grandpa, help me!" cried a little girl.

Gill made it just in time, his footsteps loud enough to gain the attention of Team Rocket. The grunts looked at him with disgust as a little girl continued to cry on the floor. Her Slowpoke looked equally as terrified as the grunts surrounded her, trying to force the location of Kurt out of her. It disgusted Gill to no end at how these monsters would just so willingly attack a little girl.

"Pick on someone your own size!" shouted Gill.

"Run away, punk," said a grunt. "You'll only get hurt if you play with the big kids."

"Zubat, attack!" shouted the grunts as they sent out their Zubats.

Gill flung his Pokéball forward, releasing the Pokémon inside of it. "Go Pidgeotto!" shouted the young Trainer. "Blast them with your Gust attack!" His evolved Pokémon emerged from his Pokéball with a great battle cry as he did so. The Pokémon began to flap his large wings, creating a gust of wind that blew the Zubat back to the grunts.

The grunts collapsed to the ground, but weren't about to give in just yet. Each one sent out a Ratatta to attack next, which led to Gill sending out his Poliwag next. His Poliwag returned fire by sending out a vicious Water Gun that knocked each rat out. Pidgeotto cleared things up by flinging them back at them with a nasty Gust attack.

Without too much trouble, Gill easily defeated the grunts with the help of his Pokémon.

The little girl jumped over the unconscious grunts and ran over to the young Trainer, throwing her arms around him. "You saved me, mister!" she cried out. "Those mean old men were trying to find my Grandpa Kurt. They wanted to hurt him if he didn't do something for them, but he had already left to go kick their butts."

"Where is your grandpa, little one?" asked Gill.

"My name is Maisy," she corrected him. "And Grandpa Kurt took off to the Slowpoke Well."

Gill had a bad feeling about that well, and it looked like there would be good reason as to why. The townspeople already said that was where Team Rocket had set up their base now that was where Kurt had run off to. Gill really wasn't liking the situation he was in just as he heard police sirens going off near the house.

He ran outside with Maisy just in time to see a few officers running up the steps. He quickly explained how the grunts tried to attack Maisy before mentioning that Kurt had run off to the Slowpoke Well to battle Team Rocket. Officer Jenny was already working on trying to send a few more officers to help, but they were still trying to clear out the Team Rocket mess in town. Apparently, most of the Trainers took care of the grunts, but plenty of them retreated to the well to regroup.

Gill got the officers to take care of Maisy as he took off running to the Slowpoke Well before anyone noticed him. The hero instinct implanted into his brain was already telling him to go help Kurt before the officers even got there. Now, he at least knew that Maisy would be safe in the care of the officers so he could focus on taking care of Team Rocket.

Gill raced passed the middle of town, seeing the Trainers finishing off the last of the grunts with victorious cheers. The grunts tried to run away, but plenty of them were captured by Trainers and officers in the process. It made Gill smile to see that some of the fire was dying out, but the source was still burning brightly at the well.

And that was where he needed to be.

* * *

The Slowpoke Well was located deep down a sloppy slope. Gill ran down the grassy slope where he saw plenty of grunts retreating too like a bunch of Zubats. It really worried Gill since he knew that Kurt was on his own unless he got some Trainers to go with him. Even Gill thought he was an idiot for going down this far without any backup, but the adrenaline was pumping so he didn't know any better.

It wouldn't hurt to have Silver here though. Gill shook that thought out from his mind as he jumped in front of the well, avoiding the last slope. He landed gracefully on his feet, which amazed him since he was a natural klutz. It looked like this journey was already changing him even though he'd only been on it for like a week.

Gill ran towards the well, seeing that you needed to climb down it from the rope. With a heavy sigh, Gill climbed into the well and held onto the rope as he slid down. He was so happy that he had his gloves on so he avoided the rope burn that he would've received otherwise.

His feet landed on the rocky ground with a slight splash from the bit of water down there. The boy spun his head around, trying to see if there was any sign of Kurt when he noticed a large opening not too far from him. It no doubt led deeper to the well, which he knew Team Rocket would be waiting for him in.

The Trainer was just about to take a couple of steps in that direction when he saw an old man appearing from behind a rock. Gill stopped walking so he could examine this old man and be certain that he wasn't working for Team Rocket. The man was fairly old, but he did seem strong enough to hold his own in a rumble. He wore bright, blue robes with his silver hair slicked back perfectly and a dark scowl planted on his face.

"You're the best they had to send to back me up?" said the old man. "Great, those idiots sent a kid to do a man's job! Don't they realize just how dangerous Team Rocket's superior is? Even the Kanto Champion was a few years older then you, half-pint."

"Back off, old-timer!" Gill growled back at him. "Look, I'm guessing you're Kurt, so I should let you know that your granddaughter was in danger but I saved her from being attacked by Team Rocket Grunts!" As soon as he said that, Kurt's face softened up as one of worried appeared. Gill knew at once it really was Kurt so that meant he was on the right trail. "I'm here to help you out, but if you don't want me to then I'll go ask one of the other Trainers who are busy fighting Team Rocket."

"Fine!" Kurt said. "Just try not to get yourself killed. It's going to be a nasty fight ahead of us."

The confidence was just oozing off of Gill as he made it this far on his own. The adrenaline was coursing throughout his body as he took a few steps passed Kurt to the opening in front of them. "Don't worry about me, old man," he said, smiling. "I was trained by the best. My father is Victor Hart, the Johto Champion."

"Well, maybe there is hope for you after all," Kurt said, honestly impressed.

Kurt followed the boy with strange Pokéballs in his hands.

* * *

The next area of the well was far more cave-like then the entrance. Gill carefully wandered around it with Kurt right beside him. There were several Team Rocket grunts hanging around all over the place, which they knew would raise the alarm if they were caught. The grunts were going to need to be taken down hard and fast before any suspicions could be raised.

Gill took out a Pokéball and held it up to his lips. He turned over to Kurt who was curious to see what the boy had planned in that head of his. "I have an idea," whispered Gill. "It may or may not work. Can I count on you to back me up if it doesn't work?"

"Go for it," said Kurt.

Gill nodded his head as he released Poliwag from his Pokéball. He whispered his instructions to the Pokémon and Poliwag did as he was told. The Water-type snuck out of their hiding place and began to hit every grunt that was in his way with Hypnosis. The grunts slid down to the ground, falling asleep within an instant.

With that taken care of, Gill had Kurt follow him carefully as Poliwag used Hypnosis on more grunts. With each one that was taken care of, they kept getting closer to the boss of this Slowpoke nightmare. Gill was walking beside his Poliwag now as they jumped down the last step together to see a man in a Team Rocket uniform with his back turned towards them and surrounded by tailless Slowpoke.

Gill sent his Pokémon back into his Pokéball before taking careful steps to this man. Kurt remained in the back just in case any of the grunts decided to wake up and attack. He took out his Heavy Ball, a black Pokéball with blue orbs on top, to release his Ursuring from it. Kurt had Ursuring stand-down, while he watched to see just what Gill was about to do.

As Gill took a step closer towards the man, his foot crunched against the rocks and alerted the man to his presence. The man in the Team Rocket uniform had it a little more elaborate than the other grunts he faced. It was still the traditional black outfit, but his appeared almost leather like with a silver, utility belt strapped to his waist. His white gloves and boots each bore a red stripe on there to signify his higher ranking in the organization. The man's green hair was gelled to appear sharp with his hat covering its true shape.

The grunt's superior stared at Gill for a moment, shaking his head at the young boy. From what Gill could see, the boy couldn't be that much older than twenty. "Is this really the best that Azalea Town has to send after me?" laughed the man. "Oh well, I suppose they think that a kid can defeat us like the last time, except we've learned our lesson. Team Rocket will not be defeated again by some half-pint runt!"

"You're going to stop hurting the Slowpoke now!" shouted Gill as he took out Pidgeotto's Pokéball. "I won't allow you to hurt anymore innocent Pokémon!"

"Right, half-pint," said the man. "I'll show you how a real man battles! The name is Proton so don't forget it."

Proton took out a Pokéball from his belt and flung the Pokémon out from it. There was a brief flash of light with a Zubat emerging from it. Gill was already familiar with that Pokémon's fighting style so he was ready to counter it with Pidgeotto.

However, there was another flash of light that came from Gill's pocket. The boy gasped in surprise as he saw his Togepi emerging from his Pokéball without even being called. Gill tried to call her back, but Togepi ran up towards the Zubat with her curious mind going bonkers.

"What a pathetic looking egg," laughed Proton. "Zubat, use Leech Life!"

Gill knew that wouldn't be a pretty attack, especially for his weak, little Togepi. She stood no chance against Team Rocket's Pokémon with the zero battle experience that she had. Gill was trying to send her back into the Pokéball, but she refused to listen to him as she danced around for a moment.

That's when Togepi's eyes gained a golden glow about them. Gill gasped as he saw a strange power brewing in his Pokémon as Togepi channeled this energy into an attack. Within seconds, a rainbow colored beam shot from Togepi's eyes and crashed into the incoming Zubat. The Zubat was sent flying across the well until it crashed into a wall, instantly knocked out with a single hit.

Proton was shaking from his shock as he sent Zubat back into his Pokéball.

Gill was equally amazed as he tried to scan the attack with his Pokédex. He learned that the move was called Extrasensory and that it was a powerful Psychic-type move that was super effective against a Pokémon like Zubat. Gill gulped from the power of that attack as the Pokédex showed that Togepi jumped several levels from that one battle.

He didn't want to risk Togepi's safety any longer though as he finally managed to get her back into her Pokéball.

"Nice job, little one," Gill said to her Pokéball. "I never knew that you had that kind of power in you. Next time though, don't pick on a Pokémon that much stronger then you, okay?"

Proton growled over towards Gill as he got his next Pokéball. It frustrated him that one little egg was able to defeat his Pokémon, but he wouldn't allow that to happen again. Oh yes, his next Pokémon was much stronger and should be toxic enough to handle a runt like Gill.

Proton flung the Pokéball forward to release his last Pokémon. "It doesn't matter where we go," he began to say, "there's always someone who doesn't agree with us. I won't allow you to interfere any longer, runt! I'll show you why they call me the cruelest and scariest member of Team Rocket. Koffing, teach this boy a lesson he'll never forget!"

The Pokémon that emerged with a giant, purple ball that spewed out toxic gas. Gill quickly scanned the data on this Pokémon and learned just what a Koffing was. He gulped as the toxic effects of his moves before calling out his Cyndaquil. His fire-mouse looked ready to rumble with the best of them as he snorted out fire from his nose then his back.

"Take the brat down, Koffing!" shouted Proton. "Use Smog!"

"Cyndaquil, dodge it!" shouted Gill.

Cyndaquil dodged the toxic gas just in time to avoid its nasty effects. Gill sighed with subtle relief when he heard a loud roar. Proton and Gill turned back to see Kurt's Ursuring battling the Team Rocket grunts who had just woken up from Poliwag's Hypnosis. It was a vicious one against twenty battle, but oddly enough it did look like Kurt was winning hands down.

That surprise seemed to motivate Gill as he focused his attention back on the battle. He called for Cyndaquil to use Ember, only to be ignored as Cyndaquil started to run after Koffing. Proton quickly asked for a Poison Gas, which would instantly infect Cyndaquil with a poison stats effect. However, Cyndaquil was ready to counter it as the fire on his back exploded as he began to roll around in a circle.

Cyndaquil was covered by fire ass he wheeled himself through Koffing's Poison Gas. Both Proton and Gill were amazed by Cyndaquil's boldness, while Gill worried more for his Pokémon's safety. That didn't seem to matter to Cyndaquil though as he used this new attack, Flame Wheel, to crash into the Koffing to deliver a nasty blow.

"Runt!" growled Proton as his Koffing flew back against the wall.

His Pokémon still wasn't defeated though. Koffing still had a little bit of energy left to battle with so he used Tackle as his act of revenge. The gas ball sailed across the well, trying to go after Cyndaquil now that his firepower had gone down. But it seemed to be the wrong thing to do as a bright glow left Cyndaquil's body. Koffing was blinded by the light and stopped moving just as the light calmed down.

Gill gasped as he saw that Cyndaquil had evolved in the middle of battle. Cyndaquil had evolved into Quilava. Quilava looked similar to Cyndaquil except with a small nose, a larger body, and fire spewing from his head as well as the lower half of his back. Gill quickly scanned the stats of Quilava to learn all the ins and outs with his new Pokémon.

"Koffing, end this!" yelled Proton.

"Go for it, Quilava!" said Gill. "Show Team Rocket what you can do!"

"Quilava!" shouted the Volcano Pokémon.

Quilava moved with remarkable speed over towards the incoming Koffing. The two decided to use a Tackle attack against each other with only one who could be the winner. Their impact trigged a nasty recoil as both went flying back until they landed on the ground. Quilava was growling as he slowly began to get up, while Koffing was completely down for the count.

"This can't be!" said Proton. "How could I have been defeated by some runt! Ugh, this isn't the last you'll hear from Team Rocket! We are back and better than ever. You got lucky, runt, but I warn you to stay away because the next time we meet, you will suffer terribly!"

With a flash of light, Proton dropped a flash grenade, tacking all of his grunts with him.

Once the light cleared out, all that was left was Gill, Kurt, their Pokémon, and the remaining Slowpoke who hadn't suffered from Team Rocket's cruel treatment.

* * *

With the nightmare brought on by Team Rocket over, Gill returned to Kurt's house for a well-deserved rest. Gill and Kurt managed to save the entire town from further harm done by Team Rocket, saving all the remaining Slowpoke and preventing future harm to them. It was a happy ending to a bad dream that had plagued the city for the better part of two weeks.

Kurt stood by his desk, looking up to Gill who stood beside his granddaughter, Maisy. The older man gained a smile after hanging up his phone after learning about the arrested Team Rocket grunts were now locked up at prison. They wouldn't be seeing the light of day for a long time, which mean there were a couple less criminals to worry about now.

"Thank you for your help, Gill," said Kurt. "You protected my granddaughter and saved my town from Team Rocket. I owe you a lot, so I'd like to do a special favor for you. My family has been making Pokéballs for centuries out of apricorns. I can make you some whenever you'd like."

"That sounds amazing, Kurt!" smiled Gill. "Thank you."

Kurt nodded his head as he took out one of those special Pokéballs from a drawer in his desk. He took out a basic looking Pokéball with a lightning bolt on top of it and a yellow ring in the front. He handed it over to Gill as he began to explain just what this Pokéball could do. "This is a Fast Ball," said Kurt. "It is highly effective against Pokémon with a high level of speed who like to take off quickly. Use it to catch them with ease."

"Yes sir," Gill said, taking the Pokéball from him.

"Now, I'm assuming that you want to battle our Gym Leader next," said Kurt. Gill nodded his head, which Kurt prepared to give some bad news. "Well, Bugsy is unable to take any challengers today. You will have to wait until tomorrow when he is finishing the repairs to the Gym since Team Rocket trashed most of it. On the bright side that gives you a day to train your Pokémon, which I highly recommend. Bugsy is a tough Gym Leader who relies on his Bug Pokémon."

"Got it," said Gill. "Thanks again, Kurt. Goodbye Maisy."

Bye Gill!" shouted Maisy.

Gill waved them off farewell as he left their home, deciding it would be best to get some training in before his Gym Battle. He would need it, especially if he wanted to compete against someone as strong as Silver in the future. Yeah, he would need to get stronger if he was going to stand a chance against him.


	8. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Haha. Well, I dont know what else to say. I just hope you all like this chapter. So...READ AND FLIPPIN REVIEW! Love ya!

**Chapter 7:**

It was a long day spent training on Route 33. Gill and all of his Pokémon were preparing for their upcoming Gym Battle at Azalea Town for tomorrow. Gill pushed his team to the test as he tried to figure out the best strategy to use against a Bug-Pokémon champ. For what info he gathered around town, Bugsy wasn't to be underestimated and he could easily take down some of the toughest Trainers with his team of Pokémon.

No one really understood how Bugsy could lose so badly against Team Rocket though.

Gill didn't focus too much on that though. Defeating Team Rocket had sky-rocketed his confidence to new extremes as he returned from his training that evening. He left his Pokémon in the care of Nurse Joy with a battle strategy for tomorrow all mapped out. So as he went to dinner, he played over his potential strategy for battle despite not knowing what Pokémon exactly the Gym Leader would use against him. He heard it would most likely be a three-on-three battle so that was something to think about.

With his plate cleared and his plan affirmed, Gill went up to his room for the night to get a nice rest. As soon as his head hit the pillow he was down for the count. He dreamt of random nonsense until he saw something that really caught his attention. The dream was mostly a blur, but he could see himself deep within a cave that he knew nothing about. A waterfall was coming down from the highest point in the cave and plenty of seashells and rocks decorated the cavern. Gill looked up to the waterfall, seeing something within it stirring. A colossal spread its wings within the water and gave out a horrid cry that left Gill shaking in fear. He was afraid that the beast might come after him until Silver appeared beside him, his smooth hand stroking his afraid cheek. A cocky smirk formed on Silver's lips as he told Gill not to worry as he approached the beast within the waterfall. Gill called Silver's name out, panicking for his safety when he saw Silver raise a silver feather into the air.

The dream came to an end and Gill shot up from the bed. He felt all these goosebumps popping up around his arms as he tried to fight the weirdness of the dream he had. He wasn't sure what was freakier: the giant entity within the waterfall or the fact that Silver touched him like a lover. If he could then he'd swore by it that he still felt the tingling sensation of Silver's hand touching his cheek still from the dream.

"I need to go to the Gym," Gill said, pushing himself from the bed.

Quickly, the boy changed into appropriate clothing as he shook his way free from the pajamas. He grabbed his backpack and left the room, running down to the cafeteria to get some breakfast before getting his Pokémon from Nurse Joy. Gill as busy figuring out what he wanted to eat when he felt his Pokégear going off like crazy. The boy ignored it at first, but as the ringing grew more constant he knew that he had no choice but to answer it.

Checking the screen, Gill saw that it was his mother and had a very bad feeling on it. With a heavy sigh, Gill answered the phone with his mother screaming at him as soon as he did. "Gill Hart!" shouted his mother, Molly. "Professor Elm told me what happened at Azalea Town. How could you do something as stupid as putting yourself in harm's way with Team Rocket! You are in so much trouble, young man!"

Gill bit down on his lips at this point regretting calling Professor Elm yesterday. He was just going to tell the professor that the egg hatch, which he was excited about and would meet the Trainer at Goldenrod City later. However, Gill let it slip that Team Rocket attacked Azalea Town and that he took down their supervisor after they defeated the Gym Leader. Professor Elm seemed proud of him, but clearly his mother didn't share the same sentiment.

He tried to calm his tyrannical mother down before she busted a blood vessel or something. She wasn't listening to him though, she was too busy yelling at him for being too reckless and how he should've called for help instead of putting himself in that level of danger. He tried to tell her that the signal was being blocked. She wouldn't listen to him either way as she just continued to yell at him like a maniac.

"Your father is coming home today and when he does, I'm telling him everything!" warned Molly Hart. "He'll know what to do with you."

The call ended as Gill gulped from fear of just how much trouble he'd been in as soon as his father found out what happened. "Yup," said the boy, "I'm so screwed. I might as well get my Gym Badge before dad forces me to come home."

* * *

Once he was done with breakfast and got his team back from Nurse Joy, Gill Hart made his way over to the Azalea Town Gym. It didn't take the Trainer long to reach the small town's Gym. He made it to the front steps and stared at the small building, a little surprised that it wasn't as big as the Violet City Gym. Maybe it had to do with the fact that this was a small town and not a "city" like the previous Gym.

It was still fairly impressive though.

The Azalea Town Gym kinda looked like a small, greenhouse with a glass dome on top. The green paint job probably alluded to the Gym Leader's affinity for Bug-type Pokémon. Gill heard that Bugsy was known as "The Walking Bug Pokémon Encyclopedia" by the people in town. He wondered just how true that was as he pushed the door to the Gym open.

Gill took not but two steps into the building when something happened. He felt something sticky under his feet and when he looked down; he saw that it was a spider's web. He didn't pay too much attention to it until he took a few steps closer towards the woodsy part of the greenhouse gym. Coming down from a tree was a Bug-type Pokémon called Spinarak. The green, spider looking Pokémon snuck up right in front of Gill and caused him to scream like a little kid.

The Pokémon ran away from him just as other Bug Pokémon started to appear from the bushes.

The Trainer was about to scream again when a young woman appeared from behind them. The Pokémon went back to what they were doing as a woman with curly, blonde hair approached the frightened Trainer. Gill noticed the white and black uniform she was wearing so he assumed her to be the referee of this gym. "Sorry about that," she told him. "Ever since Team Rocket had their way here, the Pokémon have been on high alert."

"I understand," Gill said, trying to shake off the feeling that something was crawling on him.

"I'm guessing you're here to challenge the Gym Leader, correct?" asked the young woman.

"Yes, I'm Gill Hart from New Bark Town," said the boy. "I'm here to challenge Gym Leader, Bugsy, for my second Gym Badge."

The young woman began to smirk as she started to turn away from Gill. "Good luck with that one, kid," she said, calmly. "I'll get Bugsy right now, but let me warn you. He may be young, but that is just a trick. He's a lot tougher then he appears and he will take you and your Pokémon down if you aren't quick."

She left him with those words as she went to get the Gym Leader, while Gill kept his eyes peeled for anymore Bug Pokémon that might want to sneak up and get him.

That didn't take too long either. Gill was just getting used to being on his own when a door opened up with the young referee returning with a boy at her side. Gill caught sight of the purple-haired boy and saw what she meant by being young. If Gill had to guess, he'd say that the boy wasn't maybe a year or two older if not the same age as him.

The newcomer wore a green-collared shirt with light-green shorts to go with it. A yellow tie was wrapped around his neck, his sleeves were cut short, his white socks went up to his knees, and he had on brown, wilderness shoes. The fresh-faced boy went over towards Gill, sizing the young Trainer up in an instant.

"Hello," he said, politely, "I am Bugsy, the Gym Leader of Azalea Town. I see you're here to challenge me for your second Gym Badge, correct?"

"Yes, Bugsy," Gill said, bowing his head. "I defeated Falkner a few days ago in Violet City. I was going to challenge you yesterday but Team Rocket was still tarring the town apart."

Bugsy nodded his head at the Trainer with a disappointed frown forming on his youthful face. "I couldn't stop Team Rocket from attacking out Slowpoke," he said, softly. "We didn't know they were even in town before it was too late. They attacked me in the middle of the night, I managed to beat most of their grunts, but their superior took down my Pokémon in their weakened state. They locked me up in the Gym along with some of the best Trainers in town. I felt so ashamed that I couldn't do anything to protect my town."

A heavy sigh escaped the Gym Leader as he turned back to look at Gill. He held his hand forward with a red Gym Badge with three, blacks on it and a black semi-circle on top. "This is the Hive Badge," said Bugsy. "Kurt told me that you're the one who defeated Team Rocket. You don't need to battle me for it. Just by defeating Team Rocket, you proved that you're stronger then I am."

Gill stared at the Badge and only thought about it for a second. He closed Bugsy's hand, shaking his head as he did so. "Just because I defeated a couple of punks, doesn't mean I earned your Gym Badge," said Gill. "I need to earn it the proper way under Pokémon League rules. I need to challenge you to a battle and defeat you. This Badge wouldn't bring me any honor if I just took it from you." Gill took a few steps away from the Gym Leader, pulling a Pokéball from his pocket. He already had an idea who he'd use for the first round as he locked eyes with the Gym Leader.

Bugsy started to laugh, feeling an immense amount of joy as he looked at Gill. "Alright, we'll do this the proper way then," he said, confidently. He made his way to the other end of the grassier area that they stood at. The young referee took to the side in order to make the appropriate calls for the match. Bugsy snatched a Pokéball and held it up, facing Gill head-on. "Just know this; I never lose when it comes to properly battling with Bug-type Pokémon. I've spent years researching them and its going to make me an authority on them. Let me demonstrate to you what I've learned from my studies."

"Bring it on!" shouted Gill.

"Kakuna," said Bugsy, "show him your power!"

"Togepi, I'm counting on you," said Gill.

The Gym Leader and Trainer flung their Pokéballs forward to release the Pokémon contained within them. There was a brief flash of light as the Pokémon were released and the match was called to begin. Gill focused on the yellow pod that was glaring angrily at his little Togepi. She didn't seem so threatened by the Bug Pokémon as she happily jumped around on the grass.

Gill prayed that his training with Togepi paid off. She rocketed his socks when he used her against Team Rocket. That's why he focused the better part of yesterday trying to get her battle ready for this Gym Battle. He wasn't sure how well she'd fight since she was so small and not exactly that strong, hence why he saved her for the opening match. It would be a little easier on her, not much, but it might chalk him up a quick win if he played his cards right.

The referee called for the match to begin, which was all that was needed before Gill made his move.

"Extrasensory!" shouted Gill.

Togepi followed her Trainer's orders as her eyes flashed gold. A blast of rainbow colored energy was shot out from them, racing across the ring to strike the Kakuna. Bugsy wasn't about to let his Pokémon to be defeated by a Psychic-type move though not when things were just beginning. He ordered for Kakuna to use String Shot to dodge it.

Kakuna sprayed a sticky string from his mouth that hit a tree and propelled himself up into the air. The rainbow blast flew right passed the Pokémon with Togepi returning to normal as Kakuna stuck to the tree. Gill bit down on his lip, it looked like this opening match wouldn't be as easy as he was hoping it to be.

Bugsy gave Gill at smile, saying that it was smart to use a Psychic attack against his Pokémon. "Just don't think it will be that easy for you," he told the Trainer. "I have developed techniques to counter Bug Pokémon's weaknesses! Let me show you one for now. Kakuna, Poison Sting!"

The Bug Pokémon fired multiple blasts of purple needles from the point of its shell. The purple needles crashed into the ring as they led up to Togepi. Gill quickly told his Pokémon to dodge it, which she barely managed to do. The Poison Sting barely missed her as the attack came to an end.

"Use Charm!" shouted Gill.

Togepi nodded her head as she winked over at Kakuna. It looked like it was partly effective since the Bug Pokémon did flinch a little. Gill was willing to bet that his attack power went down enough to keep the Kakuna from being too lethal. He issued for a second Extrasensory to be used. Togepi did as she was told, firing a rainbow beam from her golden eyes. This time, the attack hit its target, knocking the Pokémon out with a single hit.

"Kakuna is unable to battle," said the referee. "Trainer Gil wins. Leader Bugsy, send out your next Pokémon."

Bugsy smirked as he sent Kakuna back into his Pokéball. He stuffed it into his pocket before pulling out another to replace it. "Nice job, Gill," said the Gym Leader. "Get ready though because our battle is only just beginning. Come on out, Scyther!" He flung his next Pokéball, releasing a Pokémon that Gill was familiar with.

The green, mantis Pokémon emerged from his Pokéball and began to swing his sword-like arms around. He gave out a battle cry that made Togepi nervous as she started to run the other direction. Gill was already ahead of her, raising his Pokéball up to send her back. There was no way that Togepi would last in a battle against a Scyther.

"Return, Togepi!"

"Scyther, use Pursuit!"

As a beam of light was about to leave the Pokéball, Scyther sprang to action. The Bug Pokémon was already at Togepi before she could be recalled. Togepi gave out a startling cry that broke Gill's heart as one hit was all that it took for Scyther to knock her out. Togepi went rolling across the grass, dizzy and unconscious as the beam of light finally reached her.

"Togepi is unable to battle," said the referee. "Bugsy wins. Trainer Gill, send out your next Pokémon."

"Rest well, Togepi," Gill whispered. He hadn't intended to get Togepi hurt so badly, but there was nothing he could do. Pursuit made sure to hit its mark before the Pokémon could return to their Pokéball. He hated himself for not predicting that move, but he wouldn't let it all be in vein. "Go Pidgeotto!"

Pidgeotto emerged as Gill's next Pokémon, ready and able to fight Scyther. Gill felt that the odds were a little more even this time. Both were Flying-types which meant Pidgeotto wouldn't take much damage against Scyther's attacks. His attacks wouldn't be as effective either, but it would help to withstand the battle damage.

"Quick Attack!" shouted Gill.

Pidgeotto reacted to his Trainer's commands with great speed. Gill spent most of Pidgeotto's training to focus on his speed since he knew that would help him in this battle and future ones as well. His Pokémon race across the grassy field and crashed into Scyther with ease. However, Scyther was able to catch Pidgeotto before he could fly away, holding onto him with his sword-like arms.

"Toss him aside, Scyther, and use U-Turn!" shouted Bugsy.

Gill's eyes focused on Scyther's movements as he tried to focus on what was about to happen. Scyther tossed Pidgeotto away, causing the Pokémon to land on the ground. His Pokémon recovered quickly enough, but Scyther was already on the prowl.

Scyther flew up into the air, very briefly to strike with an aerial attacks. Pidgeotto took a bit of damage and was forced back onto the ground again, but Scyther was returning to his Trainer. Without having to be recalled, Scyther returned to his Pokéball in a second with Bugsy switching it out for his other Pokémon.

"Metapod, let's show him our skill!" shouted Bugsy.

Out came a green, pod Pokémon that Gill was surprised to see. He didn't expect Bugsy to send out a Pokémon that he clearly had an advantage over like this. At least with Scyther, there would be a lot more tricks involved to take him down. Either way, Gill counted his lucky stars as he used a move that was a gift from Falkner.

"Roost!" shouted Gill.

Pidgeotto nestled down on the ground for a moment. He flapped his wings only for a second as a few feathers began to flutter off as his energy slowly began to recover. It wasn't all of his health though, but enough to still keep him in the battle against a significantly weaker Pokémon.

Without thinking twice about it, Gill issued a Quick Attack to be used. Pidgeotto did as he was told just as Bugsy called for Metapod to use Harden. The green Pokémon's hardened body began to glow with his defense raising up. Pidgeotto came into contact and managed to crack through the hardened casing, sending Metapod flying back.

Gill was about to cheer for victory when Bugsy stopped him. The Gym Leader had a small smirk on his face as he pointed at his Pokémon. "You only helped me create a stronger Pokémon," said Bugsy. "Look, Metapod is hatching from his cocoon. He's evolving." Gil swallowed down his nerves as he witnessed the shell cracking all over. A bright light began to form as another Pokémon rose up from the remains.

The shell faded away just as a new Pokémon took center stage. Gill quickly scanned this one, learning that the blue-winged Pokémon there was a Butterfree. This Bug-type was part flying as well, but also displayed minor Psychic abilities. He knew that if he wasn't careful then this could turn out badly for him.

"Gust!" shouted Gill.

"Confusion!" shouted Bugsy.

Pidgeotto began to flap his lengthy wings, releasing a Gust of wind that attack the Butterfree. However, the Bug-type was able to withstand the gale of wind. His red eyes began to glow as he kept the wind back and managed to repeal it back towards Pidgeotto. Both Gill and his Pokémon were surprised by this as Pidgeotto was blown back into a tree with ease.

Gill gulped, fearing that he lost another Pokémon when Pidgeotto got back up. His Pokémon wasn't about to lose without a fight. Gill nodded his head as he called for another Gust. Bugsy countered once more by using Confusion on them. However, this time Pidgeotto used a second Gust to reflect the incoming one. Gill responded quickly by issuing a Quick Attack during this brief window of opportunity.

Butterfree went down with a single hit, but the Bug-type was able to use one last Confusion on Pidgeotto to take him down with him.

They both landed on the ground, both knocked out.

"Butterfree and Pidgeotto are unable to battle!" announced the referee. "This round is a tie. Leader Bugsy and Trainer Gill, send out your final Pokémon."

Scyther returned to the battlefield once more. Gill threw out his final Pokémon, releasing Quilava from his confides. His Fire-Pokémon began to spew fire from his body as he prepared to do battle. Scyther swung his sword arms around, ready to take the challenger down.

"This may be my last Pokémon," said Bugsy, "but my Bug Pokémon are tough. You won't be defeating me that easily."

"Neither will you," Gill responded.

The fighting continued once more. Scyther was raising across the battlefield, using Quick Attack to give him a major speed boost. Quilava pulled up a Smokescreen to disorient his opponent and to give him a chance to return with cover fire.

Gill was stressing since this was his last chance to prove what he was made of. If Quilava lost then he'd fail to earn his Gym Badge. He couldn't allow that to happen. He had to fight with everything he had, he needed to win.

Scyther was coming in for the kill though. He had used Focus Energy to boost his attack power up. With that done, he performed U-Turn in order to push through the cloud of smoke to reach Quilava. The attack worked. Quilava got hit with the U-Turn and was flung out of his smokescreen, now out in the open.

Despite not being weak to the attack, Quilava looked like he took a good chunk of damage. Gill was nervous as Scyther responded quickly with a Quick Attack. He begged Quilava to use what strength he had left to hit Scyther with a Flame Wheel. Spewing fire from his body, Quilava rolled around into a ball with fire wrapping around him.

The two crashed into each other, but this time it was Scyther that was blown away.

Quilava gave out a big sigh as he laid his head on the ground, tired from the battle.

"Scyther is defeated," said the referee. "Leader Bugsy is out of Pokémon. Trainer Gill is the winner!"

Bugsy shrugged his shoulders after sending Scyther back into his Pokéball. "Aw, that's the end of it then," he said, simply. "Oh well, thanks for the great match, Gill." He began to walk across the field with Gill doing the same. Quilava continued to rest on the ground beside his Trainer once they reached the middle ground. "You have earned your Hive Badge."

Bugsy handed his Gym Badge over to Gill, marking his victory over the Azalea Town Gym. Gill smiled broadly as he held up the Badge, cheering for himself. "Thank you, Bugsy," Gill said, returning to reality. "It was an honor battling you today. You helped me get just a little stronger."

"Likewise," said Bugsy. "Take this TM too." He handed over a disc to the Trainer. "It contains the move U-Turn. It may come in handy for future battles. Oh! Forgot to mention this, but with my Gym Badge, you can master the Hidden Machine move Cut."

"Thanks again, Bugsy," Gill said.

"No, thank you, Gill. You've just shown me I have a lot to learn still. I'd like to battle you again someday."

Gill agreed once more as he exchanged numbers with the Gym Leader before leaving for the Pokémon Center with his new Hive Badge.

* * *

The center was pretty much empty, which made this a lot easier on Gill. He handed his Pokémon over to Nurse Joy so that they could be treated. It would take about an hour so Gill took that time to see where he needed to go next.

The Ilex Forest was next on his list of places to go. Passed the forest, he'd reached Route 34 then it would be Goldenrod City for his next Gym Battle. At least, if his father didn't call him before then and forced him to come home before then. It was still open to debate what kind of trouble he'd be into when his father called.

Speak of the devil, Gill's Pokégear began to go off.

He answered it after checking to see that it was his father calling him. "Hi dad," Gill said, softly. "Before you start yelling at me, I have good news! I just got my Hive Badge like an hour ago."

"That's good to hear, Gill, but we still need to have a big talk," said Victor Hart. "You know you were reckless when you went after Team Rocket like that. You could've been seriously injured. You could've been killed if Team Rocket really wanted to go after you."

"I know," Gill said, sadly, "but you should've seen the damage they've done. The entire town was living in fear. All the Trainers in town were going to go attack Team Rocket when they struck first and turned the city into a war zone. I had to do something, I couldn't just sit there with all those people suffering."

"I understand, Gill," said his father. "You have too big of a heart for your own good. Your mother wants me to drag you home, but I'm not sure that is the right thing to do. I want you to go to Goldenrod City and stay there with your sister for a while. I have some work to do, but I'll be there in a week anyways. We'll see what we have to do about you when I get you."

"Yes sir," said Gill. "Does Lyra know I'm coming?"

"I just got off the phone with her, she knows," said Victor. "I'll talk to you later, son."

"Bye dad," Gill said as he hung up the phone.

Gill looked at the Hive Badge in his hand, still afraid that his journey just may be cut short. He knew his dad was proud of him, that much was obvious. His mother though wasn't as pleased and they were just afraid what could happen to him on his own. A lot of things could happen to him now that he thought about it.

But he tried not to dwell that much on it, he had a little more time. If he could prove himself to be strong and careful then maybe he'd be able to convince his parents to let him continue his journey. Maybe if he defeated the Goldenrod City Gym Leader then that might prove himself worthy or at least capable.

Either way, Gill needed to get his butt over to Goldenrod City and fast.

The sun would only stay up for a few more hours, it would dangerous to be on his own in the middle of night.

* * *

As the day was gradually getting later, Gill made his way towards the town gate that led to the Ilex Forest. He heard some legends about the forest even one about a mysterious Pokémon that lived there. Some of the townspeople believed the Pokémon existed while others thought it to just be a legend. Gill wondered if he would ever see this Legendary Pokémon that they claimed live there as he kept going forward.

His Pokémon were back to being fully healed, which was good news for him. Their battle at the Gym taxed his team's powers and he didn't want to go anywhere with them being too weak in case he got caught in a battle. His little Togepi though didn't want to stay in her Pokéball so he was "forced" into carrying her around.

Gill was just about to reach the gate when he heard someone calling his name. At first he thought it was probably Kurt, Kurt's granddaughter, or even Bugsy coming to say goodbye. He was in for a surprise though when he turned around to see that it was Silver that was gradually walking towards him. The red headed Trainer wore his usual serious scowl on his face to go with the dark-fitted outfit that he wore.

Togepi began to give out happy cries as her "daddy" was back.

"I defeated Bugsy earlier today," said Silver, "and he said that you stopped Team Rocket. Please tell me that was a lame joke."

"No, I really did stop Team Rocket yesterday," said Gill. "Why? You're not on Team Rocket's side, are you?"

Silver huffed at Gill, shaking his head at the boy. He took a few steps closer, ignoring Togepi's cries as he circled Gill around like a shark. "I despise Team Rocket's very existence," he said with a bitter tone. "They're nothing but weaklings who prey on those weaker than them and use pathetic tricks to fight the strong. They're nothing but vermin to me." And that was made very clear by the way he spoke, not to mention the hostility oozing off his body.

Gill was happy that Silver wasn't after him at the least.

"I'm amazed though that a wimp like you could beat Team Rocket," said Silver. "I'm assuming you have your Hive Badge now, show me what you got. I want to see the skill of the punk who foiled Team Rocket's plan."

"Right now?" Gill asked.

"Yes," Silver said, holding up a Pokéball. "Four-on-four, no substitutions. Winner takes all."

"Alright then," Gill said, softly, as he nodded his head.

The Pokéball went flying as Silver sent his first Pokémon out. It turned out to be a Zubat, which led to Gill to release Togepi from his arms. He knew that his little one would be able to handle a Zubat with enough ease. But he wasn't going to let Silver see just how tough she was without giving him some false sense of security.

Silver took one look at Togepi and her battle stance, laughing as he did so. Togepi looked disappointed at him as the boy shook his head. "This is going to be too easy," said Silver. "You're sending a baby out to do a real Pokémon's job. Oh well, you just have to learn the hard way. Zubat, Leech Life!"

Zubat went flying after Togepi, ready to sink his fangs into her. Gill ordered for Togepi to dodge it before using Sweet Kiss on it. Togepi succeeded in jumping away from Zubat's fangs before blowing a tender kiss at the Pokémon's way. Zubat was struck with a spell of confusion and smacked himself with his wing.

It frustrated Silver to see his Pokémon confused, but he made the rules. There would be no substitutions so he'd have to get Zubat to snap out of it and quick! He barked his orders loud enough for the self-harming Zubat to break through the spell of confusion to pay attention. The next move issued was Bite, which caused the Bat Pokémon's fangs to come out once more.

Acting quickly, Gill told Togepi to use Extrasensory. With Zubat racing towards her, Togepi's eyes started to glow gold once more. She fired the rainbow beam of energy at the Bat and knocked her opponent out with one hit.

Silver recalled his unconscious Pokémon, while Gill called Togepi back. Both boys switched their Pokémon out for a new one as they threw their Pokéballs forward. Silver sent out his Sneasel and Gill released his Teddiursa. Their Pokémon stared at each other for a moment, both boys calculating what to do next.

Gill was the one to attack first. He called for Teddiursa to use Fury Swipes on Sneasel. The little bear raced after her opponent and began to slash her claws after him, but Sneasel kept weaseling his way out of her path. He danced away from the claws just as Silver issued to counter with his own Fury Swipes. Sneasel's attack managed to connect with Teddiursa, but she got him back but using Scratch in the end.

Both Pokémon had claw marks on them now and they were both very angry at the other. Teddiursa charged after Sneasel, swiping her claws after him again. This time she managed to connect her Fury Swipes onto her target and did quite a bit of harm. However, Sneasel responded by spewing Icy Wind from his mouth. The freezing wind cracked against Teddiursa and did some nasty harm to her as she was left in a semi-frozen state.

"Quick Attack!" shouted Silver.

Gill was unable to do anything for his Teddiursa as he watched as Sneasel crashed into her, knocking his Pokémon out. The Trainers returned their Pokémon, Gill losing this round as they switched their Pokémon out. Silver sent out a new Pokémon, Ghastly, which Gill was familiar with due to encountering one during his training. Gill sent his Dratini out since he had faith in her combat skills.

Once more, the battle continued. Silver used Ghastly's ghostly abilities to his advantage to prevent Gill from using Dratini's stronger attacks. Her Normal-type moves wouldn't affect a Ghost-type Pokémon at all. So Gill focused on using her weaker Dragon-type move. Twister was the main move that Gill was stuck with using.

Dratini blew up her Twister to give Ghastly a hard time to attack him. Ghastly managed to get away though and used a Lick attack to leave Dratini suffering from a minor case of paralysis. It was enough to prove to be tricky for Gill as he tried to get a plan going to counter this. But Silver was two steps ahead of him, he had Ghastly use a move he's never seen before.

"Curse," ordered Silver.

Ghastly followed the orders and struck himself with an invisible pin. It looked as if it did Ghastly himself damage, but there seemed to be a lot more to it. That's when Silver explained it, Ghastly inflicted damage on himself just to lay a curse on Dratini that would slowly drain her of strength. Gill knew that this was very bad with his Pokémon paralyzed it would be far more difficult to do any damage.

Dratini tried to use Twister again, but the paralysis was kicking in. It prevented her from moving, which led to the weakened Ghastly to strike with a Lick attack. That combined with the Curse meant that Dratini couldn't hold on any longer. His Pokémon was knocked out as Ghastly barely held onto what was left of his health.

The boy was terribly worried as he recalled Dratini back into her Pokéball. He retrieved his last Pokéball and knew exactly who Silver was about to use. Silver flung out a Pokéball to release Croconaw, while Gill sent out Poliwag to even the playing field. He didn't have any Pokémon that would last against a Water-type, so he was going to have to fight water with water. Gill was already certain that he wouldn't win the battle, but at least he'd go down trying.

"Water Gun!" the boy shouted.

Croconaw and Poliwag used their Water Guns against each other, creating a giant blast of water. The water spewing from their mouths were trapped on middle ground. It did look though that Croconaw would have the advantage soon enough. Poliwag wasn't exactly strong enough to take on Croconaw, but the Pokémon kept on trying though.

Their watery attacks died down enough, Croconaw started to rush after Poliwag to use Bite on him. Gill had Poliwag use Hypnosis in hopes of putting him to sleep before it was too late. Poliwag used his hypnotic attack just in time though and managed to put Croconaw into sleep for a while.

"Doubleslap!" shouted Gill.

Poliwag turned around and used his tail to slap Croconaw across the face, repeatedly. The tadpole did this about four or five times before his opponent finally woke up, not happy at all. Croconaw nearly bit down on Poliwag's tail with the tadpole running the other way just as Croconaw started chasing after him. Using his Aqua Tail, the larger Pokémon flung himself after Poliwag and took him down with a single hit.

Gill sighed with disappointment as he recalled his defeated Pokémon. He couldn't believe that he lost to Silver, that he could've gotten so strong. It was impossible for anyone to get that strong under such a short period of time. There was no way that Gill would stand a chance if he ever had to fight him again.

Silver sent his Pokémon back into his Pokéball as well. The red headed boy shook his head as he took a few steps closer towards Gill. "Still not strong enough," said Silver. "It's still not good enough."

"I know," Gill said, looking away from him. "I get that I'm so much weaker then you. You don't have to rub it in!"

"Not you, Gill," Silver said, arms crossed over his chest. "I was talking about me. That was too close of a match for my liking. You nearly had me beat a few times. You've gotten stronger, not strong enough to beat me, but strong enough to challenge me. Until I can beat you without breaking a sweat, I'll never be as strong as I need to be."

Silver started walking, stopping as he crossed paths with Gill towards the gate. He raised his hand up and stuck his index finger up as he pointed it at the boy. "It would seem the both of us need to get stronger," he said, slightly softer. "The next time we meet, you better be ready to fight."

Silver left it at that as he walked off towards the Ilex forest, leaving Gill behind.

Gill gave off a disappointed sigh before healing his Pokémon with items as he tried to figure out what Silver meant. He was strong, but not strong enough? How did any of that made sense? Silver wanted to be strong enough to wipe the floor with him, but he already did that today. Yet that still didn't seem to please him.

Did it really matter though?

Gill's journey was about to come to an end once he got to Goldenrod City. The boy gave out a disappointed breath as he got back up on his feet. He got to walking to the Ilex Forest with Silver way ahead of him now.


	9. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Well, you're finally going to get that big Silver and Gill moment in this chapter. But not before witnessing a sad scene of abuse. Read and review!

**Chapter 8:**

It was like walking into a perpetual night as Gill took his first steps into the Ilex Forest. The dense trees blocked all the afternoon sunlight from peering through. Gill gulped as he looked around the dense forest, seeing a lot of Bug Pokémon and Grass Pokémon roaming about. All of the Pokémon ignored him, which was good since Gill didn't feel very much in the mood to rumble with a wild Pokémon.

Everything was a little obscured, which made it exceptionally difficult for Gill to navigate his way out of the forest. It pissed him off, but he figured that he'd be able to handle it until he saw that his Pokégear's map function wouldn't work in the woods. With a heavy sigh, he got out his map from his bag to see if there was a clear indication of the Ilex Forest so that he could possibly walk his way through. Lucky for him, there was a clear path that went mostly straight through the woods.

With a tired yawn, Gill pushed himself forward through the forest until he saw a boy around his age running around. The young Trainer was left raising a curious eyebrow as the boy kept screaming the same thing over and over again. "Farfetch'd!" shouted the boy. "Farfetch'd! Come back! Farfetched, where are you?"

The boy kept running around, repeating the same thing over and over again until he collapsed to the ground. The green robes that the boy wore only slightly parted as he fell to his knees, crying out Farfetch'd once more. Gill felt bad for the other boy as he started to slowly approach the boy before asking him what the matter was.

The boy gave out a startled gasp when he saw Gill behind him. His nerves eventually calmed down though as he straightened himself up to face the Trainer. "My father's Farfetch'd is missing," said the boy. "I lost him in the woods, while trying to collect trees for the charcoal my dad makes. Oh! Dad is going to be so disappointed with me if he found out that I lost his Pokémon. It's not my fault though, his Farfetch'd doesn't respect me at all. How am I supposed to use a Pokémon that doesn't respect me?"

"Alright," Gill said before the boy gave him his life story. "I'll help you out. Do you have Farfetch'd's Pokéball?" The young boy nodded his head as he handed it over to Gill. He kept it in his hands before nodding his head at the Charcoal Maker's son. "So, which way did Farfetch'd run off too?"

"That way!" the boy said, pointing east.

Gill nodded his head before taking off in that direction to help the boy.

The young Trainer made sure to avoid the fallen sticks that had fallen on the path. He crossed through a few parts of the forest, hearing the faint sound of a Pokémon. Gill had already checked out Farfetch'd's data on the Pokédex so he recognized the sound easily enough. He crept carefully over a fallen tree where he saw the Pokémon in question wandering around.

The brown and white feathered Pokémon was raising his leek stalk around as he marched in place. Farfetch'd was behaving curiously, which seemed a little odd to Gill as he tried to come up with a way to catch him. He already knew that the Pokémon wouldn't come quietly back into his Pokéball so it meant he'd need to be a little sneaky.

It was with a heavy sigh that Gill started to sneak around the Pokémon's blindside. He made sure to walk carefully to avoid the sticks that would alert the Pokémon to his presence. Gill was biting down on his bottom lip as he crept behind another tree to hide himself from the strange Pokémon that was marching about.

"Farfetch'd!" the Pokémon cheered, randomly. "Far!"

Gill took out the Pokéball that belonged to his Poliwag. An easy solution to the problem popped into his beautiful head as he released his Pokémon, quietly. He knelt down to the ground and whispered to Poliwag to use Hypnosis on Farfetch'd. Poliwag didn't question his Trainer for a second as he slowly began to hop out from behind the tree.

Farfetch'd heard Poliwag and didn't seem alarmed at all to see the Pokémon. A smile crept up Gill's face as he watched how Farfetch'd was lured into a false sense of security before Poliwag gained his full attention. In a single moment, Poliwag released his hypnotic attack to put Farfetch'd into a light sleep.

The Trainer jumped out from behind the tree with the Pokéball in hand. He easily managed to send Farfetch'd into his Pokéball now that the Pokémon was asleep. He smiled happily as he sent Poliwag back into his Pokéball as well. With all of that taken care of, Gill started to make his way back towards where he saw the boy in the first place.

As Gill got closer towards his destination, he swore that he heard yelling. He feared that the boy may have been in trouble as he raced over to where he met the boy and saw an older man yelling at the boy. The resemblance between the two was deadly obvious, which made Gill realize that the man was the boy's father. They looked exactly alike with the brown hair, blue robes, and similar facial features.

"You're too careless, Warren!" shouted the boy's father. "That's why Farfetch'd won't listen to you."

"I'm sorry, dad," Warren said, sadly. "I'm sorry that I keep letting you down."

His father gave out a heavy sigh before shaking his head at the boy. His hands fell on the boy's shoulder, rubbing them with a gentle touch. "It's alright, Warren," the man said, calmly. "I should've known better then to leave Farfetch'd with you. It seems I need to train Farfetch'd to obey your commands as well as he does mine."

Gill approached them both, letting out a fake cough to break up the tender moment. The Charcoal Maker and his son looked back to see Gill standing there with a Pokéball in hand. "I found your Farfetch'd," Gill said, softly. "Please sir, don't be too mad at him. He's trying his best."

The Charcoal Maker began to smirk as he walked over towards Gill. He held his hand out where Gill returned the Pokéball and the Pokémon to the rightful owner. "You're a good kid, I can see clearly," said the Charcoal Maker. "Your parents must've raised you right. Thank you for helping my son and bringing my Pokémon back to me."

Gill simply nodded his head, hiding the blush that crept up on his embarrassed face. Warren looked equally embraced as his father called him forward. Both boys looked up to see what was up the man's sleeve when he suddenly pulled out a white disk from the sleeve of his robes.

"I'm guessing that you're a Trainer and I'm willing to bet that you defeated Bugsy," said the Charcoal Maker. "For helping me and my son, I want you to have this. It's HM 01; it contains the move Cut, which you can teach to anyone of your Pokémon. It will give them the ability to cut down the more troublesome trees, especially the ones that grow around the Ilex Forest."

He accepted the disk and placed into his bag. "Thank you, sir," the young Trainer said. "It was my pleasure helping though."

"Polite too," said the Charcoal Maker. "Yup, your parents defiantly raised you right. Let's go, Warren."

"Thanks again!" Warren said as he waved Gill off. "You saved my skin back there. Take care and good luck on your journey." Warren took off as soon as his father's voice boomed. The frightened boy spun around and quickly followed his father out of the forest.

Gill didn't have the heart to say that his journey was quickly coming to an end though. His mom was dead set on having him come home because of what happened with Team Rocket. Who knew what his dad would want to do to him. Gill wouldn't be too surprised if he was strapped onto Dragonite's back and sent back to New Bark Town, screaming.

A groan escaped Gill's throat as he dragged his feet through the woods to Goldenrod City to meet his maker, almost literally.

* * *

The Pokémon that roamed around the forest were friendly enough to Gill where they played with him as he crossed the gap. The Weedle and Caterpie crawled around him as he ran with them playfully chasing after him. His walk through the forest was a pleasant one, but eventually the Pokémon turned away from him. This left Gill with a feeling of loneliness as he resumed the quite walk through the forest.

Gill's emptiness stemmed from the uncertainties he was facing with his coming future. He was alone on this journey, but he desperately didn't want to be taken from it. The young Trainer didn't want to be sent home. He didn't want to be locked up until his parents decided that he was "old" enough to handle being on his own. But most of all, he didn't want to lose his connection to Silver.

Of all things, why did he start to think about Silver now?

Silver was a jerk. He was cruel in every sense of the word. He was borderline abusive and unstable in more ways than one. It was dangerous for Gill to be around him. Why he would chose someone as opposite as him to be his rival was ridiculous!

Gill shook his head before finally crossing a tree that was blocking the rest of his path. He tossed the Pokéball that Quilava was in and figured it would be a good idea to teach him Cut. Quilava made quick work of the tree that was blocking their path. The Fire Pokémon's fists began to glow as he rushed after the tree and smashed it apart with ease.

Quilava was returned to his Pokéball and Gill preceded to walk onward.

The boy had his hands stuffed into his pockets as he walked until reaching a small shrine in the middle of the forest. He paused and recognized this as the shrine for the forest's guardian that he heard so much about. There wasn't much to it, it appeared like a regular, wooden shrine that was fairly small and could only house something small in itself. He didn't see how this could be for a big, powerful forest guardian.

Gill shrugged though as a yawn escaped him. He suddenly felt a little drowsy and he saw that it was getting a little late from his Pokégear. There was still enough time for him to reach Goldenrod City, but he felt too tired to really keep on walking right now. It made sense though today had been a taxing day on him so far.

A lot of excitement had happened; it wouldn't hurt to take a short nap.

Yeah, a nap did sound really great right about now. Gill dropped down to the ground, figuring that the shrine would be a good place to rest. If there was a powerful, forest guardian then he'd be safe sleeping there. Either way, he doubt that anyone would try anything at a sacred spot so he laid down on the ground and used his backpack as a pillow.

His eyelids grew heavier until he finally couldn't keep them any longer though and he fell into sleep.

* * *

Maybe an hour passed since Gill had started his nap time. But in that hour, he was left vulnerable to a group of malicious bodies. Three men dressed all in black came out from the trees and laughed as they recognized the boy that humiliated them from the other day. The stranglers from Team Rocket were grinning viciously as they approached the sleeping boy.

Without feeling a thing, Gill had his things taken from him before being tied up against a tree. As the uncomfortable ropes began to rub against his flesh the wrong way, it finally served as a trigger to wake the boy up. Gill's eyes began to flutter open when he felt that something was terribly wrong. He felt the rope that bound him to the tree, but most importantly he felt something on his mouth. His conscious mind returned and he saw what had just happened and who was circling around him.

The men from Team Rocket began to laugh as one of them broke formation. He stood in front of Gill, his dark eyes glared onto the frightened boy. Before Gill had the chance to blink, a fist went straight for his chest, hitting him square on the rib. The boy screamed out with pain, but the tape on his mouth muffled his cries. A second fist landed on the opposite rib, making both of Gill's sides hurt terribly, while the men only laughed.

"This is for disgracing the name of Team Rocket!" said the lead Grunt. "You besmirched our name and insulted the honor of Proton!"

He switched places with another grunt who punched Gill in the face. The boy felt too much pain to cry out as his body shook against the heavy fist. He heard his neck pop and felt a prickly pain from where the Grunt hit him. That entire side of his face was soon numbed though when the Grunt hit his right leg.

Gill tried to scream, he tried to scream for help, but all of his pleas for help were unheard.

The last of the Grunt began to tare at Gill's clothes, while hitting the boy's exposed skin. He smashed his elbow down on the boy's shoulder and hit him in the knee. Gill was crying out with a horrible amount of pain as the brutal beating continued. The Grunts eventually untied Gill and the boy dropped to the ground without any support. The three began to attack him all at once, tarring at his clothes or beating him for their vengeance.

As the beating continued, Gill lost all hope and could only pray for a quicker death then this.

With the Grunts continuing to beat the young Trainer, the leaves above them began to shake. The trees looked almost as if they were swaying as a small, green figure began to descend from the sky. The shrine in the distance gave a faint glow when the small figure grew closer, nearly ready to strike to save the defenseless boy. But that wouldn't be necessary, the green figure heard footsteps and foresaw that Gill would be saved by another.

So the green figure returned to the sky and disappeared so that the boy's hero could save him.

Gill swore he felt his bones cracking everywhere, while the Grunts continued to laugh at his weakening form. The boy had tears coming from his eyes as blood began to escape from the opened wounds. However, the beating stopped and it left Gill wondering what happened. He feared that they were about to implement a far crueler form of torture when he heard the familiar sound of a Pokémon.

"Croconaw, use Water Gun!"

The Grunts were soaked from head to toe as a torrent of water crashed into them. They were flung across the forest, back towards the direction of Azalea Town. Gill's head was too heavy to pick up to see who had attacked the Grunts, but he had a strong feeling that he knew exactly who it was. As the Grunts began to scramble, arming themselves with their Pokéballs, another blast of Water Gun went after them and sent them flying back.

They learned their lesson so the Grunts quickly fled before it would be too late for them.

Gill wished he could've sighed with relief, but the pain was too great. He could only whimper and wonder what happened to his Pokémon and his belongings. He failed to see that his bag and Pokéballs were all discarded behind him, left behind by the Grunts as they assaulted him.

Gill's rescuer gathered all the items and slung it over his shoulder. His black shoes began to crunch against the broken twigs as he grew closer towards Gill, making the boy panic as he feared that something far worse would happen. Croconaw joined his Trainer with glee as they went to the aid of the broken Trainer.

"Nothing but cowards," said a familiar voice. "Team Rocket are a despicable breed. If you weren't in such terrible shape, I'd run off to kill them myself. But I can't leave you like this, I can't prove myself better then you if you're dead."

"Silver?" Gill barely croaked out.

Silver knelt over into Gill's line of sight. He was unzipping his shirt, revealing that it had been a sweater all the time. A white undershirt was underneath it with a v-neck that exposed part of his chest. Silver rolled the sweater up into a ball and gently placed it under Gill's head.

"Don't say anything," Silver said, softly. "I'll take care of you. Just rest up."

Gill would've protested if he hadn't been in such a sorry state. The boy didn't bother to say another word as his heavy eyelids won over him once more. This time though, Gill worried about drifting off into a coma and dying in this godforsaken forest.

Silver watched over Gill, feeling a foreign feeling in his chest as he tended to him. He felt a strong urge to help the boy, which was something he wasn't about doing. However, the compelling feeling won over as he checked the boy everywhere. He gathered his first aid kit and used it to patch Gill up as much as possible. The broken parts were obvious to him since he easily felt them out. Gill was lucky that the only part of him that was broken was his arm, everything else was just bruised horribly and would take more time to heal.

Silver took out a Pokéball from his pocket and released the Pokémon contained within it. A humanoid-ish figure emerged with a curled tail and a spoon in his hand. "Kadabra," Silver said to the Pokémon, "I want you to use Recover on Gill." Silver's heart was pounding loudly as he gave the orders. The part of Silver that he never wanted to admit existed actually cared about Gill's safety and what would happen to him. He couldn't allow the boy to die, not like this. "Heal him as much as you can, understood?"

"Kadabra!" the Psychic Pokémon agreed as he went over to the boy.

A faint, warm glow of light began to heal the beaten Trainer as he continued to sleep with Silver watching over him.

* * *

The unbearable pain that he knew diminished down to nothing. Well, it was nearly nothing. There was still enough pain to remind him that something happened so when Gill finally returned to the conscious realm, he was surprised to see his left arm wrapped up.

An uncomfortable grunt escaped him as he tried to adjust himself on a more comfortable position. However, that didn't seem to work since his head was laying on something that felt a little bony yet soft. Gill carefully looked to see that his head was on someone's legs and balled up shirt when he looked up, he saw Silver staring off into the distance with a Pokéball in hand.

"You awake," Silver barely said above a whisper.

Gill flinched as he wormed himself away from Silver. It hurt to move, but he didn't care since he thought it was Silver who attacked him earlier. That's when his memory returned and he remembered that Team Rocket Grunts were responsible for what happened to him. It was Silver who saved his life, the same Silver who didn't give a damn about anyone weaker than him.

"Why did you save me?" Gill mumbled. "I thought you didn't like me?"

Silver started to smirk as he stood up tall, while Gill cowered on the grass. The red headed boy approached the beaten, black haired boy with caution. "Let's get this straight, I can't stand you, Gill," Silver said, openly. "You are so annoying. You're so pure, so innocent that it's downright frustrating. I want nothing more than to take that innocence from you, but I can't seem to bring myself to do that. Call it a conscious, if you want, but I just can't seem to let you suffer."

Gill's head started to pound furiously as he listened to Silver's words. He didn't quite understand that last bit. He wanted to take his innocence? Was he saying what he thought he was saying? "You want to rape me!" Gill finally shouted.

That's what led to Silver busting out with laughter as he shook his head at the younger boy. He covered his face to hide the red that was forming on his heated cheeks, while Gill tried to curl into a defensive position but felt only pain in his body. "I don't want to rape you," Silver said, calmly. He straightened Gill out so that he'd stop hurting himself. The boy wouldn't be able to recover properly if he did that. "I only meant that I want to force you to see what the world is really like. This peaceful-goodwill shit that you see through the world as is a lie. The world is a cruel, dark place and the sooner that you realize that then the better you will be. You need to see just how hateful this place could be."

"Why are you so cruel?" Gill asked. "What caused this depressing outlook you have on life?"

"You can thank my father," Silver said, softly.

Silver grabbed the case he had on the ground and strapped it back onto his hips. He twisted it to the side that way it wouldn't look as ridiculous. All of his supplies were packed into that tiny bag unlike the giant messenger bag that Gill carried around with him.

The older boy turned back around to see Gill still laying there like a pathetic mess. He had failed to notice that his clothes were half-torn thanks to the scum from Team Rocket. He shook his head as he walked towards him and snatched the bag up in the process.

"The woods aren't a safe place for you right now," said Silver. "The sooner that you leave the better. You're lucky that my Kadabra was able to heal you so well."

"You have a Kadabra?" Gill said, remotely shocked.

Silver barely nodded his head as he went through the boy's stuff. Gill didn't bother to protest as the older boy rummaged through his belongings. He pulled out a small case and extracted the clothes that were packed inside of it. He almost carelessly dropped the bag on the ground as he knelt over towards Gill to help him change.

Neither boy understood why he was doing this. Silver wasn't the type of person who would ever help anyone, but he was doing it. The red head felt compelled to actually do something to help Gill out during his desperate time of need. Why though? He couldn't explain it. It felt like Silver wasn't even in control of his own body as he did so.

Silver was careful about undressing the broken Gill. He decided to simply tare off the clothes he did wear just to make it that much easier. Well, he only had to rip the shirt. Gill's shorts were in a good enough condition that they could still be worn until he decided to change them on his own.

Carelessly throwing the ripped shirt aside Silver bit down on his lip as he tried to figure out how to get the new shirt on Gill. He only glanced at Gill's thin, bony chest for a moment. But a moment was all it took for the ravishing thoughts to burn inside of his loins. Silver controlled himself though as he finally figured out a safe way to get the shirt on.

It was a struggle for Gill to barely move his arms as much as necessary to help with the change. He was embarrassed that Silver was seeing him so exposed and he fought to keep the blush from forming on his cheeks. The flushed look appeared soon enough though, making it obvious to Silver that some thoughts were going on in Gill's head. Dirty thoughts from what the red head could tell.

"You really need to be careful with those you hang around," Silver whispered into Gill's ear. "I might not be able to save the damsel from the bad men next time."

Gill felt shivers rolling down his spine as Silver's cold voice penetrated his senses. Without really thinking twice about it, Gill ended up tugging on the t-shirt that older boy war. He pulled his frail body closer towards him as he shook from a frightening lack of control. He didn't know why the emotion overwhelmed him, but Gill was on the verge of tears as he pressed himself against Silver's stronger form.

Silver was at a lost though as he barely held onto the frightened boy. A heavy sigh escaped his chest as he realized just how much trouble he was getting himself into. Then again, why would he complain with a creature as innocent as Gill so desperately holding onto him? It was enough to make a smirk grow on his face as he finally decided that he would continue to help Gill, at least until they reached Goldenrod City.

* * *

The rest of the walk through the Ilex Forest was spent with Silver holding onto the stumbling Gill. The constant calls of the Pokémon in the woods left Gill constantly on edge, but it was Silver who reassured him that he'd be fine. Gill still wouldn't stop mumbling about how afraid he was now. Being attacked by Team Rocket had left Gill in such a sorry state that he was only a shadow of who he once was. It would be a while until the boy had his pride, his courage back in him.

"They're coming," Gill whispered, frightened. He clung onto Silver's arm, holding back the tears as he heard another noise in the forest. The cries of nature left the boy paranoid that Team Rocket was going to jump him again and this time they'd actually kill him.

In any other circumstance, Silver would've just hit the boy and told him to shut the hell up. But this was something different then what Silver was used to. The distance he had with others kept him apathetic to everything. But this "rivalry" he had with Gill forged a deeper link for Silver, this was the closest "relationship" he had with another living being. Not even his relationship to his father could compare to the hostile one he had with Gill.

"Don't worry," Silver said to Gill. They reached the end of the forest and were crossing into Route 34. He allowed the boy to squeeze his arm until it was numb, honestly finding himself smiling as the thought dawned on him. "I'm strong enough to take care of those Grunts from Team Rocket. Now that I think about it, you got lucky. It was a pure fluke that you defeated Team Rocket the other day."

"You're probably right," Gill whispered as he clung onto Silver.

Silver sighed, missing the fiery spark that Gill had. The determination and drive the boy had was gone. He noticed that it was missing too during their battle in Azalea Town. There was something else going on behind those hazel eyes. It wasn't his place to pry though. What was going on with Gill's personal life was none of his business.

It was evening as they made their way through Route 34. They both spent most of their time in the Ilex Forest, much longer then either one had originally anticipated. Gill was lucky that Silver was trying to find the legendary, forest guardian that supposedly lurked in the woods. He found no trace of it, but he heard the grunts laughter mixed with faint cries.

Gill was barely paying attention to the road as they neared a distant home. The boy picked his head up and began to form a soft smile as he held his broken arm closer towards his chest. "You can drop me off at the house," he said, softly. "I'll stay there for the night."

"Is that supposed to be a Pokémon Center?" Silver asked.

"No, it's the Goldenrod Daycare Center," said Gill. "My grandparents run it."

"You think it's a good idea if they see you like this?" asked Silver.

"I'm already going to be sent home because of what happened at Azalea Town," Gill said, bitterly.

"Oh," Silver said, "alright then."

Silver guided Gill to the daycare center. It was Gill who rung the doorbell after finally parting away from the red head. Silver was slugging off Gill's messenger bag to return it to the Trainer when the door finally opened.

It was an elderly woman who opened the door. Her black hair matched Gill's, but there were a few streaks of gray in it. She was dressed in a purple dress that complimented her figure nicely enough to make her appear a few years younger.

Grandma Hart looked at the boys for a moment, surprised to see them here. She had no idea who Silver was, but when she saw her grandson in such a terrible state, a horrified shriek escaped her. She immediately ushered the boys in, telling Silver to help Gill into the living room. Silver followed the grandmother's commands as he escorted him inside. Gill heard from his terrified grandmother that Grandpa Hart was at the Pokémon Center and wouldn't be back for another hour.

Gill hid most of the truth from his grandmother, deciding it would be best to say he had just been jumped by punks and was rescued by Silver. Grandma Hart checked Gill's wounds, noticing the plethora of bruises and the black eye he was now sporting. Oh yes, she was certain that her son would drag her grandson back home once he saw how badly he looked. She immediately went to work in the kitchen to get himself something that he'd be able to stomach. It was official that he would be staying here for the night. His grandmother would call Lyra to come get him tomorrow.

With all of that mess taken care of, Silver decided it would be best for him to leave.

As the red head made his escape, Gill steadily followed behind him. The black haired boy tugged onto the sleeve of Silver's sweater until they reached the door. Silver was trying to leave as quickly as possible since he didn't want to get dragged into the drama of the Hart family. He had enough of his own issues to deal with, he didn't want to add the boy's baggage too. Well, more than necessary.

"Thanks, for the rescue," Gill barely said. "I owe you my life."

"Consider us even," Silver said. "You kept the cops off my tail, I kept Team Rocket from killing you."

Gill frowned as he heard those words. Even. Why should he had even bothered to imagine that it could've possibly been anything else? He was a fool for thinking that Silver did it for any other reason. The crush was purely one-sided, and it was something that Gill wasn't proud of as he held the door open for Silver.

"Still though," Gill said, "thank you."

"Yeah," Silver said, trying to make his escape.

However, a hand snatched onto his arm and kept him from going. Silver was beginning to feel a little annoyed since he wanted to leave already. A part of him was kinda happy though to still be around Gill though, a very faint part. A part he would never admit that existed. He focused his gray eyes on Gill, wondering what could be going on in the boy's head.

Gill was blushing as he tried to hide gazing into Silver's eyes. He bit down on his bottom lip before having the resolve to do what he so desperately wanted to do. The crush needed to go somewhere; even if it would only go to a horrible crash. He tilted his sore head as much as possible until he could press his lips against Silver's lips.

With the surprise move, Silver was left dumbstruck by Gill's actions. The boys stayed there for a moment, frozen by the action that Gill initiated. But Silver's body responded while his mind was still trapped. He pressed his lips against Gill's soft, virgin lips with his hands holding the boy's head in place, touching his dark locks.

But the kiss ended quickly enough as the boys returned to reality. Silver looked differently to Gill, completely different from the jerk he was so used to seeing. The red headed boy still had the confused look though before finally nodding his head and left the Daycare Center. Gill watched as Silver disappeared into the approaching darkness, smiling, certain that maybe his confused feelings weren't so one-sided.

Despite the broken spirit and uncertain future, Gill felt that maybe Silver would be there for him…someday.

"Gill, honey," said Grandma Hart. "Your dinner's ready."

"Coming grandma," Gill said as he closed the door.


	10. Chapter 9

Author's Note: here ya go kids! read and review.

**Chapter Nine:**

There was a soft knock on the door to the guest bedroom.

Gill wasn't prepared to deal with anyone that morning as he laid face down on the bed. His face was buried into his pillow and he hadn't bothered to change out of the clothes he wore from yesterday. He didn't want to expose his scars to anyone. They were healing and some had faded, but there were plenty of bruises on his skin from what the grunts from Team Rocket did to him.

A heavy sigh escaped Gill as the knocking continued, but this time louder. He finally pushed himself up from the bed and moved towards the door. He had barely unlocked the door when it was pushed open by the dreaded knocker. Gill paused for a moment as he found himself face to face with his sister.

Lyra stood there, looking as beautiful as ever in a t-shirt and a skirt. Her hands were on her hips with her brown hair tied into a lengthy braid. She took one look at Gill then began to shake her head before pushing herself into the guest bedroom of their grandparents' home.

"You look like shit," Lyra said.

Gill closed the door as his sister sat on the bed. He didn't feel like putting up with her, but he knew that he couldn't send her away. "I'm sorry," whispered the little brother.

"Don't be," Lyra said, looking at the bed. The bed was a tell-tale sign that something was incredibly wrong with Gill. The boy slept like a wild animal. Half the sheets would be on the ground or tangled up together. The bed was made almost perfectly, so unlike Gill. "What happened to you, hun? Grams and Gramps said you came in looking like hell with a strange boy carrying you in."

"Nothing, Lyra," whispered Gill. "It was nothing."

He didn't want to sully the one good memory he had from the nightmare. Silver had saved his life from the grunts. He tended to his wounds and he even kissed his red-headed rival when he left. His memory of Silver was too strong, too pure that it made things hurt less.

"You shouldn't lie to me," Lyra whispered, poking his sore ribs. "Get ready. I'm taking you to the city after breakfast." She kissed Gill on the forehead and left him alone for a while so that he could freshen up.

Gill sighed as his sister left him alone in the guest room, fearing just how much Lyra would try to get out of him.

And how much would reach their parents' ears.

* * *

When Gill was dressed and they ate, they said goodbye to their parents as Lyra led her brother to Goldenrod City. It wouldn't be that long of a walk, but it would take them an hour to reach the largest city in the Johto Region. Lyra was constantly checking up on Gill to make sure that he was physically capable of going on the walk. She told him that she could always get them a cab, but Gill just wanted to walk.

Lyra kept her eyes on her brother, never losing sight of him for even a second as she held onto a Pokéball with one hand. She was willing to bet that somebody had attacked her brother since that was the only way that he could've received such scars. She would wait though so that he would talk to her own her own. Gill was a stubborn one who never revealed his secrets unless he was absolutely certain that they'd be safe.

How could he even consider telling her? Their parents were geared up to ship Gill back to New Bark Town at a moment's notice. Dealing with Team Rocket wasn't something that their parents were exactly comfortable with since they ran from Kanto in order to make sure that their children would be safe from them. And that's how it dawned on Lyra. She felt stupid for not piecing it together sooner; it was obvious to her what happened now.

"Team Rocket attacked you, didn't they?" she asked. "Gill, please tell me what happened. You know I got your back, little bro."

As they neared the city, Gill stopped walking and froze in place. Lyra ceased moving as well as she turned around to face her brother. Gill was practically shaking with fear as he fought the urge to cry. There was so much to say, he couldn't keep any of it bottled up any longer. He needed to tell someone before he would explode.

And since he couldn't share his feelings with Silver then Lyra was the next best thing.

So Gill confessed that Team Rockets' grunts attacked him. He went further into detail though as he went back to the beginning of his journey. He explained his first encounters with Silver, how he was the thief, and how he battled him multiple times. That's when Gill started to push the secret feelings he had for Silver, everything that he had been bottling up for the past two weeks. It was all starting to rise up and spilled all over the place like word vomit.

Then he spilled the big secret how Silver rescued him from Team Rocket and the two of them kissed.

Finished, Gill fell to his knees with exhaustion as he landed on the grass. He felt better now that it wasn't all bottled up. It felt good to talk about all of this. He knew that Lyra wouldn't judge him too harshly, plus, she'd keep it a secret from their parents. At least, that's what he prayed that she would do.

Lyra dropped herself on the ground, landing beside her brother. She gave out a heavy sigh as she was unsure of just where to begin with this. "You worry me a lot, Gill," said Lyra. "Now I get why mom and dad are freaking out. You seemed to be a walking disaster magnet; you've always been like that though."

"You want them to send me home, don't you?" asked Gill.

"No kid," said Lyra. "You need this journey more than any of us. Going on a Pokémon Journey will help you grow and mature, I'm sorry that this incident had to happen to you. But I'm more concerned about this Silver guy you like so much. He doesn't seem like a good guy for you. I'm worried that he might hurt you, bad, someday."

"Silver wouldn't," Gill tried to defend. He stopped himself though since he was so unsure about it himself.

It looked like talking to Lyra didn't help as much as he had hoped. At least she wanted him to keep going on his journey, but she wasn't so fond of him liking Silver. Gill began to wonder just how this would affect the outcome of things.

* * *

The hour came and went; Lyra escorted her brother to the beautiful Goldenrod City. Gill hadn't been here in about two years. That seemed to be more than enough time to make the city seem like it changed and grow into bigger proportions. It took all of Lyra's navigational skills to get them through the crowds of people, the traffic, and other insanity to her apartment by the seaside.

Lyra's apartment complex seemed pretty nice, but Gill was wondering just what he apartment really looked like. The old one she had wasn't that nice and wasn't in the safest part of the city either. Their dad got this place for her to make sure that his little girl would be safer so that they could all sleep just a little better at night.

Gill took his first steps into the apartment to see that it felt very homey.

The entire apartment felt fairly neutral in every way. The walls were creamy, the furniture didn't clash with any of the decorations, and even a few plants were scattered about. Lyra told him how their Water and Grass Pokémon made great gardeners so they took care of the plants there. Gill paused in his tracks for a moment, he heard about that their in her last sentence.

"You live with someone?" asked Gill. "I didn't know you have a roommate."

"I don't," said Lyra, "I have a boyfriend."

Before anymore questions could be raised, a door opened from down the short hall. A young man emerged almost at the perfect time. He was older than Gill and possibly a year or so older then Lyra. His black hair was cut short so his pale face and green eyes were exposed. The young man wore a red and black short-sleeve with a pair of black pants, running shoes, and emerald wristbands on his wrists. He had a white beanie in his hand which he was about to put on when he saw Gill.

Gill had to assume that this stranger was the boyfriend that Lyra had yet to tell him about. He took that as a yes too when he saw the young man put on a bright smile on his face as he went over to Lyra. She wasn't too far behind either as she took a few steps forward to meet him halfway.

"Missed you, babe," said the young man.

"I missed you too," Lyra said, kissing him on the lips.

"That's just gross," Gill said, regaining their attention. He dropped his bag on the ground and took a few steps towards the stranger. He could tell that the boyfriend was a good guy, but the simple fact that he was dating his big sister didn't sit well with the young Trainer. "I'm Gill, Lyra's younger brother."

"Ah," said the young man. "You're the famous Gill. I'm Brendan, I'm dating your sister."

"Gill," Lyra interrupted, "Brendan is from Littleroot Town over in the Hoenn Region. He's a Trainer too so I'm sure the two of you can learn a lot from each other."

"Not a bad idea," said Brendan. "I've only been here for a year and haven't experienced much from Johto Trainers yet. I'd like to have a real challenge soon."

"Maybe," Gill said, softly. "Does dad know you're shacking up with a guy, Lyra?"

"Yes," Lyra said, smacking her brother's arm. She hadn't meant to do so, but she did. And unfortunately for Gill, she hit one of the bruises to inflict pain upon him. That's what he got for being an ass. "Daddy is aware that I have a boyfriend. Don't try to drag me down with you, kid, I'm on your side, remember?"

"Right," Gill said, rubbing his arm. "I'll try to remember that."

Brendan just nodded his head, wondering what family he was getting himself involved with.

* * *

When afternoon came, Gill was trapped in the living room with Lyra and his parents. Brendan had left to do some "errands". Gill knew that the only reason he was gone because he didn't have to deal with this family drama. The boy gave a heavy sigh as he sat on the sofa with his parents standing over him as Lyra sat on a recliner across them.

Molly was having a fit when she noticed the cuts on her son's arms and the mostly healed black eye. His overprotective mother was yelling at the top of her lungs, no doubting risking getting Lyra evicted for a nose complaint. It took everything that the kids' father had to keep his wife restrained before she blew a gasket. Gill was too frightened to say a single word, while their mother continued her rant.

But that only got worse though when Lyra decided to tell their parents what really happened after taking down Team Rocket.

"What!" shouted Molly and Victor.

"No," Molly said, shaking her head. "You can't continue this journey any longer. This is far too dangerous for you. I won't allow you to risk your life again for this damn journey."

Wow, damn was the first bad word that Molly used in front of her children. Lyra and Gill had to give their mother props for that one. Gill was more upset though for the fact that his mother was already dead set on sending him back home without second thought.

Could he blame her though? He had been attacked by Team Rocket, nearly killed if Silver hadn't saved him. At least Lyra excluded to mention that Silver was the thief who stole the Totodile from Professor Elm's lab.

Victor managed to pull his wife back a little before jumping the deep end. He held onto her, trying to restrain himself as well before he could blow up on his son. He had to try at least to stay in control because it would do no good if they both exploded.

"Gill," Victor began to say, "I can't let you continue this journey, not on your own. It may be safer for you if your return home. We can talk about this later though. For now, you stay in the city with your sister, you can challenge the Gym Leader here as well if you want."

Lyra was just beginning to inform Gill that the Goldenrod City Gym Leader was out of town for the next month. She was interrupted though when Gill finally decided to speak up for himself. "Then what am I supposed to do?" Gill asked. "I want to continue my journey. I don't want to give up on becoming a Pokémon Master."

"And I don't want my son to die," Victor said, firmly.

The boy flinched from the harsh tone in his father's voice. He clenched onto the denim of the jeans he was wearing as he avoided eye contact with him. It wasn't fair, no matter how much truth there was behind his father's voice.

Gill found himself forcing himself to stand and running out of the apartment before anyone could even try to stop him.

* * *

The day was half over as Gill ran away from the apartment complex, fighting away the pain he felt due to his injuries. He didn't want to be anywhere near his family right now. The whole being around his family right now just hurt too much for him to handle right now. It hurt more than the actual injuries that Team Rocket gave him.

He made it to downtown and wandered amongst the crowd of people. The boy had nothing on him except for his Pokéballs and his wallet. At least that was something; he would be ready this time in case somebody tried to go after him. He wouldn't allow what happened with Team Rocket happen to him again.

A bright light hit him in the face, nearly blinding him. When he faced it that's how he found himself facing the famous department store of Goldenrod City. The Trainer saw plenty of people going so he figured that he might as well go inside to see what the store had to offer him. As he took his first steps inside, an employee ambushed him and began to babble how they were giving special gifts to every hundred customers.

"This is a Water Stone," said the employee. "It can be used to make certain Pokémon evolve. Here you go."

The employee handed over the aqua, blue stone to the young Trainer. He stuffed it into his pocket and started to think just who he could use it on. When the employee returned to her station, Gill started to walk around the department store to see what it had to offer a young Trainer.

Seven floors of intense shopping, his mother and sister would've been in Heaven. Now he understood why Lyra moved to the city in the first place. Even he seemed to enjoy the mega shopping experience that the store offered. There were plenty of items that would've been useful for Trainers, some of which that he would have to come back for later when he had his bag.

Gill made it to the sixth floor where a rest area from all the shopping was. The boy took a seat at on an empty chair and looked at his Pokégear for a moment. There were a million missed calls, all of which were directed from a member of his family. He cleared the list then stuffed it back into his pocket because he didn't want to deal with them at all.

"Is it really a good idea for you to be on your own?"

A sharp gasp escaped Gill when he turned around to see him. Standing over the young Trainer was none other than Silver. The red headed Trainer bore no expression on his face as he continued to stand over the boy with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What are you doing here?" asked Gill.

"Getting stuff to train my Pokémon," said Silver. He took a sit on the empty chair across Gill. He sat down with a little more grace then what Gill was used to saying. Confidence was something that Silver practically oozed out of his pores. "I'm gearing up to train my Pokémon for the long haul. The damn Gym Leader of this city isn't coming back for a month so I might as well take off for the next town. I'll need to train harder to get my Pokémon ready for the next Gym."

"Nice for you," Gill said, softly. "I don't know how much longer I have left to be a Trainer. My parents found out what Team Rocket did. They're threatening to ship me home and locking me in my room."

"Sucks to be you," said Silver.

"Yeah," Gill said, sadly. "It really does."

Silver sighed as he got up from the chair and stood up with his hands in his pockets. Gill barely registered the movement when he tilted his head up to see that Silver had yet to leave him. "Come on," Silver said, calmly. "I'm hungry and I want to make fun of you some more. The food court is on the seventh floor." Silver wasted no time in turning around and walking to the elevator.

Gill found himself blushing at the older boy who he was crushing on before running after him before the doors closed.

* * *

The food court was pretty, damn nice if Gill had to say so. There was plenty of choices to eat and even a stand so that your Pokémon could get fed as well. Both Trainers made sure to get some food for their Pokémon while they were feeding themselves dinner.

Once again, Gill found himself eating dinner with Silver. This hadn't happen since they were about to enter the Union Cave together out of pure coincidence. There wasn't as much hostility as there was last time though, which Gill found himself grateful for. However, there was a deep period of awkward silence that went on between them as they ate in silence.

Gill felt terribly awkward around Silver, more so now that they had kissed last night. It wasn't just a regular, rival relationship that they had. Gill felt the fireworks in his heart, he was certain that Silver felt something similar to what he felt. There was no denying that there was something. It was there, he just needed to get Silver to talk.

But Silver wasn't talking, he was especially going to keep that part silent.

Finally though, Gill got fed up with all of this for the second time that day. He smacked his hands down on the table and gained Silver's attention away from his food. "Listen Silver," said Gill, "I like you, a lot. I've liked you for a while now and I'm sure that you like me too. I know that things didn't start out great between us and that there might be too much of a rivalry between us, but I want to be with you."

Gill had finished saying his peace, finding more courage than he ever thought that he had. The boy waited, silently, for Silver to give his response.

Silver simply dropped his fork onto his half-eaten food before straightening himself out. He leaned against his chair with his arms crossed over his chest, a painfully serious look on his face. "Relationships are a distraction, Gill," said Silver. "Friendly or romantic, they can only lead down a path of weakness. I refuse to become weak."

The venomous words were far more poisonous then even a bite from an Arbok. It took everything that Gill had to withstand Silver's cruel tongue. He felt like such an idiot for putting himself out there like that. He should've never said anything to him. How could he be so stupid?

Choking back on the tears, Gill wanted nothing more then but to die at that moment.

"But," Silver said, pulling Gill back, "I can't deny it. There is inside me that feels something for you. I have yet to determine if those feelings are positive or negative."

Gill lost his breath for a moment as Silver returned to his food. The older boy was finishing off the rest of his dinner, while Gill left the rest of his untouched. The black haired boy suddenly didn't feel like eating any longer now. He had too many emotions running around inside of his stomach, preventing him from feeling any type of hunger.

Now, the boy was more confused than ever.

Silver had practically admitted that there was something there. He had some type of feelings for him too, which Gill wasn't certain either if they were good or bad. Gill was just happy enough that Silver felt something. This whole situation wasn't completely hopeless any longer. There might be some type of potential for there to be something more.

Before Gill could attempt to go any deeper, a strong voice pulled Gill's attention. The boy spun his neck back around quickly and saw his father running towards the table. He flinched as he saw his father approaching, while Silver just watched the scene with much curiosity. Silver was wondering what was going to happen now as he finished the last of his food.

"Gill Hart!" Victor shouted at the boy. "I can't believe you took off like that. Your mother is hysterical now. Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"

"Does it really matter?" Gill said, trying not to sound like an ass. "You're already going to send me home. It's not like it really matters what I do now. Good or bad, I'm going to be forced to go back to New Bark Town."

"It's for your own safety, Gill," said his father. "This journey is too dangerous for you right now." Victor was going to say more about it when he noticed the red head. The Johto Champion stared at the boy who was watching them carefully. Victor suddenly lost all interest on Gill as he focused on the boy, recognizing him from the description that Lyra gave as well as his brief encounter with him. "You're Silver, aren't you? You saved my son from those grunts from Team Rocket?"

Silver barley nodded his head as he pushed his empty plate aside. He glared at the older man with a dark intensity locked in those gray eyes of his. "Grunts are nothing," said the red head. "They snuck up on Gill while his back was turned. It could've happened to anyone. Team Rocket is just a bunch of crooks who attack the weak because they're too pathetic to fight those who are strong."

"Yes, well," said Victor, "thank you for saving my son."

"You're not that intimidating," Silver said with a huff. He stood up from the table, picking his trash up with him. Victor and Gill watched Silver, wondering what was going on in that head of his. Finally, Silver decided to explain himself to them. "The Champion of the Johto Region, you retired before a Trainer could defeat you. I can see that you took the coward's way out. Instead of using your strength to defend your title, you chickened away to retain it."

"Excuse me!" Victor said with much anger. "I earned that title and fought to hold it for years. Do you want to test your strength against mine, boy?"

"Not yet," Silver said, smirking. "I'm not near your level yet, but I will be soon. Later Gill, I'll be seeing you on the road soon. You still owe me a rematch, don't forget."

The red head Trainer took off after that. He tossed his trash into the nearest trash can before disappearing into the elevator.

Gill was left with his jaw hanging open, unable to believe that this just happened.

Victor was shocked as well, insulted by that damn boy. He couldn't believe that the little brat thought he could talk to him in such a rude manner. At least his son managed to respect some decency. Speaking of his son, Victor looked down to see that Gill was smiling in the direction that Silver took off in with tears forming in his eyes.

There was a lot more going on with his son then he was possibly aware of.


	11. Chapter 10

Author's Note: WOOHOO! I feel so accomplished by getting this chapter to you guys. I hope you enjoy it because I kinda had fun writing it. And just an FYI for you kiddies, Silver isn't in this chapter (boo) but he will be in the next chapter (yay!). So read and review as always. I love ya! MUAH!

**Chapter Ten:**

Gill returned to Lyra and Brendon's apartment with his father dragging him in. The black haired boy kept silent as his parents kept discussing what they would have to do with him. He tried ignoring them for the most part, trying to enjoy his mother cooking but the food tasted sour in his mouth. Not even Lyra's attempt to reassure him that everything would be fine could make him feel any better about all of this.

The uncertainty of his fate left Gill completely terrified as he sat at the dinner table. His parents had taken their conversation to the guest bedroom where they continued to argue about what to do with Gill. An hour passed and still a decision had yet to be made. Victory and Molly could only agree that Gill should stay in Goldenrod City for now until they finally figured something out.

That night, their parents left, leaving Gill all the more terrified at what could happen.

When Gill went to bed that night, he held onto the ruined t-shirt from his encounter with Team Rocket in the Ilex Forest. He thought about what happened and what could've happened to him. So many horrible images appeared into his mind, but they were quickly snuffed out when he thought about his red headed savior. Silver saved Gill from the unthinkable. Silver willingly saved him from being seriously hurt and even took care of him.

Silver could be a selfish jerk, but Gill could see that there was something good in his soul.

Gill laid flat on the bed in the guest bedroom, looking up at the ceiling. He held back his tears as he prayed for the best that he wouldn't need to cut his journey short so soon after it began. But most importantly, he thought about his Pokémon. They had been through so much in such a short amount of time. It was almost an insult to them by cutting their journey so short.

"What can I do?" Gill whispered to himself. "What would Silver do?"

Gill already knew the answer to that and found himself laughing a little at such a ridiculous question, but his tears continued to flow as he cried himself to sleep.

But outside his bedroom door, Lyra and Brendon listened to Gill's struggles as they tried to come up with a way to help him.

* * *

A month had passed and still Gill was stuck in Goldenrod City.

Despite all the uncertainties, Gill pushed himself to continue his training as a Pokémon Trainer. He wasn't going to give up on his dreams even if his parents forced him to return home. There was no was that he was going to dishonor his Pokémon by just giving up on everything that they had worked so hard for. He was going to keep training even if he was going to go home, he would keep his Pokémon strong that way they'll be ready for anything when their journey resumed.

It was this spark that Lyra admired as they went over to Route 34. Gill kept on training his Pokémon so that they would one day be strong enough tot take Silver down and any Gym Leader down. Lyra smirked as she watched him and even felt motivated enough to do something about it.

"Gill," Lyra shouted at him, "let's battle. It's been a long time since you fought a real Trainer, so I'm willing to bet you're a little rusty. You think you can handle a three-on-three match with your big sister?"

"Bring it on!" Gill said, laughing. "I'll take you down, sis, in no time flat!"

"That's what you think," Lyra said, hiding her smirk.

The siblings broke apart to gear up for their battle. Lyra was the first to throw a Pokéball out, releasing her first Pokémon for battle. A tiny, blue-mouse looking Pokémon came out and greeted the worst as it bounced up and down. Gill scanned the Pokémon to learn that it was a Marill, a Water-type Pokémon.

Gill tossed his Pokéball, releasing his Dratini from it. His Dragon Pokémon gave out a small cry as it prepared to do battle with his sister's Pokémon. Their two Pokémon quickly collided with each other. Marill fired a torrent of a Water Gun at the Dratini, but the Dragon-type managed to jump out of the way with Gill's quick thinking. Dratini whipped up a Twister that started to blow over towards Marill.

Lyra quickly called for a Rollout, which led to Marill ridding through the Twister. It was an impressive move that Gill had to give her credit for, but he wasn't about to give up yet. He always had a backup plan with his Dratini by calling out for an Extremespeed as Marill began to fire another Water Gun.

The water crashed into Gill's Dratini, sending her back to the ground. Marill bounced after Dratini by using the tail as a spring. Another Water Gun began to fire after Dratini but Gill was ready for another Twister. The two attacks merged together in a violent, almost hurricane-like surge that couldn't be stopped. The attack crashed into Marill, knocking the Pokémon out easily enough.

Lyra recalled her Pokémon with Gill doing the same thing. Next on the list, Gill sent out his Teddiursa to get some practice in. Lyra nodded her head before flinging her next Pokéball to release an Oddish. The Grass-type Pokémon began to hop around on his little feet as it prepared to do battle with Gill's Pokémon.

Teddiursa charged after Oddish, using her Fury Swipes to attack. With her claws glowing with energy, Teddiursa began to slash away, but Lyra's Oddish was quicker than they expected it to be. Oddish kept bouncing away from the Fury Swipes without much effort on his part. Teddiursa came to a stop with her attack ending, giving Lyra an opening.

Oddish attacked with Absorb, siphoning some of the health from Teddiursa. With the green leaves on his head glowing, Oddish extracted that health to expand on his own. Oddish then attacked with a Stun Spore Teddiursa could recover from the attack. Tiny, yellow spores began to fly from the leaves on Oddish's head that blew onto Teddiursa's fur. She gave out a tiny cry as her body showed signs of paralysis.

Gill cried out to Teddiursa to keep trying, but Lyra had Oddish attack with Acid. The venomous gunk spewed from Oddish's mouth and hit Teddiursa straight on. Teddiursa gave one last cry before being knocked out with the nasty blow. Gill bit down on his lip as he recalled his Pokémon with Lyra repeating the actions.

The winner would be decided in this round, they were even for now but not for much longer.

They tossed their final Pokémon out at the same time, releasing them for battle. Gill sent Pidgeotto out, while Lyra sent out another Grass-type Pokémon. Gill looked at the Pokémon and recognized what was once her little Chikorita. The Pokédex informed Gill that this was the evolved form of Chikorita, Bayleef.

"When did she evolve?" Gill asked.

"On my way back here from home," said Lyra. "She evolved to protect me from a swarm of Beedrill. She took them all down with one hit! Let's finish this, Gill!"

Bayleef stomped across the field, while Pidgeotto flapped his wings and ascended into the air. Gill's Flying-type avoided Bayleef charging after him which bought them a little more time. He needed to react fast because Bayleef was using Razor Leaf, firing the leaves from large leaf on her head and the buds around her neck. Pidgeotto did his evasive maneuvers and easily avoided the sharp leaves before they could do any damage to him.

Pidgeotto then started to flap his wings upon Gill's command, using Gust to attack his sister's Pokémon. The sharp wind managed to hit the target but the match was far from over. Bayleef refused to be taken down with one hit, meaning that Lyra actually raised her Pokémon to take a hit. Gill was going to need to think harder and attack better if he was going to win this match.

Lyra issued a Vine Whip, which flew into the air and grabbed a hold of Pidgeotto. With remarkable speed, Bayleef pulled Pidgeotto to the ground and smashed him on the field. Gill was horrified to see this, but was also amazed by how quickly Pidgeotto recovered. He was lucky that he commanded Pidgeotto to use Roost just as Bayleef was getting ready to attack again.

Gill had Pidgeotto use Quick Attack to get away then use the speed boost to attack. The Flying-type managed to crash into his target and pushed the Bayleef across the field. Bayleef bumped back into Pidgeotto to do some damage back to her attacker, but it wasn't enough to win this one.

Pidgeotto reacted quickly, blasting Bayleef with a Gust, sending her flying across the field. Bayleef crashed in front of Lyra, dizzy and no longer able to battle. Gill and Pidgeotto cheered themselves on, while Lyra returned her beaten Pokémon to her Pokéball.

"You've gotten better, Gill," Lyra said, smirking at him. "I'm impressed with you, little brother. I think you deserve a treat."

"What kind of treat?" Gill asked as he recalled Pidgeotto.

"We're taking a field trip to the Radio Tower!" Lyra cheered.

Lyra latched onto her brother's arm and dragged him back into town before he could fully enjoy his victory.

* * *

The steel tower was the most popular attraction in Goldenrod City. The Radio Tower transmitted its radio shows throughout the Johto Region with one of the most famous being Professor Oak's radio talk show. It was also where many of the popular TV programs were aired, including Gill and Lyra's favorite show, Poké Glee.

Sister led brother inside the Radio Tower where they were immediately ambushed by one of its employees. They were both offered a free Radio Card App to use on their Pokégears, which they accepted graciously. Gill was about to question the reason behind this when Lyra just told him to shut up and take the freebie.

"Wow," Lyra said, checking the App out. "They even get the Indie, underground stations from Celadon City."

"They have Pride Radio too," Gill said, smiling. "I love the DJs on there, they are so funny."

"You would like them, homo," Lyra laughed, nudging her brother. "Let's check the rest of the tower out."

Gill laughed as he followed her deeper in the tower. They were just made it up the second floor when they heard DJ Mary's radio show going on. There was plenty of laughter with the crowd circling around the sealed off room as the show progressed. Gill and Lyra joined the crowd when they saw the two women inside the booth.

DJ Mary was a pretty, young woman with flaming red hair. She was wearing a green, turtle neck with tan pants. She looked comfortable in the booth as she continued to go on about her special guest for the afternoon.

The young woman wore a simple, white shirt with yellow buttons on the front with short, blue shorts. She had pink hair that had yellow hairclips to hold it perfectly in place. She was laughing with DJ Mary, going on about her latest job when DJ Mary finally interrupted.

"Well, thank you everyone for listening today," said DJ Mary. "Today's special guest was Whitney, the Gym Leader of Goldenrod City. Everyone should check out her new movie which comes out next Friday!"

"Yeah, everyone should come see it," Whitney said, smiling. "Thanks for having me on the show, Mary."

"My pleasure, Whitney," said the DJ. "I'll see you later, girl."

Whitney left the private booth and was greeted by loud cheers. The crowd that had grown outside of the booth was applauding the Gym Leader, which certainly caught Gill's attention. The boy watched as the Gym Leader of Goldenrod City was ambushed by her cheering fans. She signed their autographs and answered all the questions that they had.

Gill had a thought reach his young mind as he pushed his way through the crowd. Lyra shook her head, worrying what her brother was going to do now. She didn't have to wait long since her brother finally got through the crowd to reach the Gym Leader.

"Excuse me, Whitney," Gill said to her. "I'm a Pokémon Trainer and I need to battle you in order to get my next Gym Badge."

"A Trainer," Whitney said, turning to Gill. "Aw, you're a cute one, kid. What did you say your name was?"

"Gill Hart," the boy said, introducing himself. "I'm from New Bark Town."

"Alright, Gill of New Bark Town," Whitney said, smiling, "I accept your challenge. Meet me at the Gym in one hour. You think you can make it?"

"Yes ma'am!" Gill cheered as he ran back towards Lyra.

Whitney could only continue to smile as she dealt with more screaming fans. At this rate, she might be a little late to her Gym Battle, but it was cool. She knew that the boy was going to wait as long as he had to in order to challenge the Gym Leader.

Gill told Lyra that he was going to battle Whitney for his next Gym Badge, which Lyra applauded him for. She quickly took him over to the Pokémon Center so that he could get his team recovered before his big match. He would need to be at his best to take down this Gym Leader.

* * *

The Goldenrod City Gym was rather pink to say the least. The walls had pink hearts all over the place with plenty of cute, plush Pokémon sitting on various podiums. Several Trainers were sitting at the large bleachers each and every one of them were girls. No doubt that they were all fans of the famous, actress of a Gym Leader.

Speaking of Whitney, she finally arrived to the Gym with a larger entourage of people. Whitney was practically bouncing on her feet as she reached the arena where a male referee arrived from another section of the gym. The other guests sprang to the bleachers to join the Trainers, each of them highly excited to see the Gym Battle.

Gill felt very nervous as Whitney finally joined him from across the arena.

"Nice to meet you again, Gill Hart," said Whitney. "I got into Pokémon because everyone else was into them. I rose to through the ranks quickly enough to become a Gym Leader. You want to battle me then I have to warn you…I'm good."

The referee coughed as he gained the attention of the Gym Leader and the Trainer. "Trainer Gill Hart of New Bark Town challenges Gym Leader Whitney of Goldenrod City," the referee announced, formally. "This will be a two-on-two battle, substitutions are allowed. The winner must knock out both of their opponent's Pokémon. Let the battle begin!"

"Clefairy, I choose you!" shouted Whitney. She tossed a pink Pokéball into the air, which released a pink Pokémon. The round, stocky Pokémon that arrived onto the arena bounced around like a little fairy on her legs.

Gill scanned the Pokémon and saw that it was a Normal-type. He nodded his head as he took out his Pokéball and released his Togepi from it. She arrived onto the battlefield with a spring on her step. Gill smirked as he thought he'd have an easy win with this one. If only he knew just how difficult this match up would be.

The battle began with a bang.

Clefairy was already after Togepi after Whitney ordered for a Doubleslap to be used. The fairy-like Pokémon sprang across the arena and immediately began to slap Togepi with her pink hands. Togepi cried out in pain, which broke Gill's heart as he begged her to use Extrasensory against her. With his golden eyes shining, Togepi fired a rainbow beam of light at her opponent, sending Clefairy flying back.

It wasn't over though. Whitney was quick to respond with a new move. The Gym Leader called for her Pokémon to use the move Metronome against Togepi. Clefairy's hands began to glow white as blue sparks of light circled around her. Gill saw the Pokédex scanning the attack and learned that it could randomly use any move that any Pokémon could learn.

A ball of fire gathered in Clefairy's mouth, which Gill saw was the beginning of a Flamethrower. He quickly told Togepi to get out of the way but his Pokémon refused to budge an inch. Instead, Togepi's hands began to glow white as well as blue sparks flew off around her. Gill realized that Togepi had just learned Metronome as well and wondered just what attack she was creating.

The stream of fire went after his Pokémon when a torrent of water escaped Togepi's mouth, which Gill learned was Hydro Pump. The two attacks collided, creating a cloud of smoke that blinded the Pokémon and their Trainers.

"Clefairy," Whitney shouted, "use Metronome again!"

When the smoke cleared, Gill saw that Clefairy was doing just that. This time the attack created turned out to be a Hyper Beam. Gill's eyes widened with horror as he told Togepi to jump out of the way, which she narrowly did this time.

But light began to consume Togepi as she jumped into the air. Her shape slowly began to change until the light faded away and Gill saw that Togepi had evolved. The egg shell was gone now, but the blue and red triangular rings were still printed onto her white skin. A pair of tiny wings was on her back, her neck was long as it supported her head, and she still was small despite the change in shape.

Gill scanned the new Pokémon, learning that this was Togetic, the evolved form of Togepi.

"Togetic!" shouted the Pokémon.

A smile formed on the boy's face as he saw that Togetic learned a new move. He glanced at the Clefairy before seeing his Pokémon flying after her. "Togetic," shouted Gill, "use Magical Leaf! Put everything you have into it!"

Togetic nodded her head as she stopped her collision course. She had a faint glow around her as multiple light, green leaves appeared and began to fly after her target. Magical Leaf made its mark and crashed into Clefairy with a bang. The Fairy Pokémon fell to the ground, knocked out with a single hit from Togetic.

Togetic cheered herself on with Gill cheering loudly as well.

"Clefairy is unable to battle," announced the referee. "Trainer Gill wins this round. Gym Leader Whitney, please send out your next Pokémon."

Whitney stomped her foot on the ground as she grabbed Clefairy's Pokéball. She recalled her unconscious Pokémon and traded her in for another Pokémon contained in another pink Pokéball. "This isn't over yet, Trainer!" shouted Whitney. "I ain't losin', you hear! Go Miltank!"

The Pokémon that was released a pink-colored Pokémon as well. The Milk Cow Pokémon had a creamy colored tail and belly, four udders on the belly, and black spots on her back with a black hood. Miltank stared at Togetic and she was completely ready for a nasty battle. Gill had to gulp as he saw that Whitney's final Pokémon had a surprising amount of strength in her.

The final battle began without any warning. Whitney was vicious as she told Miltank to bring Togetic down from the sky. She threw herself into the air and latched onto Togetic, using her massive weight to bring Togetic down to the ground. There was a brief crash with Togetic getting injured by it.

Whitney responded quickly as she called for Stomp. Miltank raised her large hove and nearly smashed Togetic with it. Gill was able to act quickly though and saved his Pokémon from certain doom. Togetic then used Metronome in hopes of saving her neck from further pain. Her entire body began to glow once more when a small explosion took place that sent both Pokémon flying away.

Miltank crashed by Whitney, while Togetic landed a few feet away from Gill. Both Trainers realized that Togetic had used Self-Destruct, knocking herself out to deliver a heavy blow against the Gym Leader. Gill smiled for his Togetic's sacrifice as he sent her back into the Pokéball so she could rest.

"Togetic is unable to battle," said the announcer. "Gym Leader Whitney wins. Trainer Gill, please send out your final Pokémon!"

"Teddiursa," shouted Gill, "I need your help! I'm relying on you to win this one."

He flung his Pokéball, releasing his final Pokémon. Teddiursa came out of her Pokéball and showed up to cheer herself on. She was ready for battle, Gill just knew that he could rely on her to pull out a narrow win.

Whitney had a surprise though as she called for the injured Miltank to use Milk Drink. The Milk Cow Pokémon drank some milk from her udders, which Gill quickly learned was a healing move. The damage that Togetic had caused was nearly completely reversed with Miltank nearly at full health. Gill knew he was going to have to fight harder if he was going to pull off a win.

"Rollout, Miltank!" shouted Whitney.

Miltank rolled herself into a ball and started to go after Teddiursa. Gill quickly told Teddiursa to get out of the way before it was too late. The Little Bear Pokémon jumped to the side only to have Miltank following her to this new position. She was forced to run with her little legs in hopes of getting away from this rampaging Milk Cow.

Miltank crashed into Teddiursa though, sending Gill's Pokémon flying across the arena. Teddiursa managed to land on her feet just as Miltank spun back around to charge after her again. Gill tried to have Teddiursa use Leer to lower Miltank's defenses. It seemed to work, but it wasn't going to be enough to stop the rampaging Pokémon.

Teddiursa jumped over Miltank with skill that Gill had never seen before. As Teddiursa returned to the ground Gill saw Miltank losing momentum. When she got back on her feet it was then that the Gym Leader called for another new move that Gill had yet to seen. The move was called Attract, which involved Miltank blowing a kiss at Teddiursa in hopes of forming link between the two that would make Teddiursa unable to battle. However, Gill saw that on his Pokédex that the attack would fail horribly.

"It doesn't work," Gill said, laughing. The hearts that surrounded Teddiursa only faded away, leaving Whitney and Miltank angry. "My Teddiursa is a girl. Attract only works on Pokémon of the opposite gender. Teddiursa, use Fury Swipes!"

Teddiursa nodded her head as her claws began to glow. She charged after Miltank just as Whitney called for another Rollout with her anger. Miltank rolled into a ball and started to head straight for Teddiursa when Gill decided to switch things up. Gill had Teddiursa jump again to avoid the attack.

"Use Rock Smash instead!" ordered Gill.

With Miltank losing momentum, Teddiursa curled her hand into a fist. Her fist began to glow as she positioned herself directly above Miltank. Taking advantage of the type advantage, Gill had taught Teddiursa to use Rock Smash just before they arrived to the Gym. Teddiursa was nearly to the ground when she propelled her fist and smashed it into Miltank's head.

The vulnerability of Miltank's head plus the damage already taken from Self-Destruct was all that was needed. Rock Smash was super effective against Miltank and even gained a critical hit. Miltank landed on her stomach and was defeated by Teddiursa's blow, no longer able to battle.

A smile crept up Gill's face as he threw his fist up in the air with Teddiursa mimicked him. They cheered themselves on as the referee called the match. "Miltank is unable to battle," said the announcer. "Gym Leader Whitney is no longer able to battle. Trainer Gill is the winner!"

"Yeah!" Gill cheered, happily.

"Waaaaaa!" Whitney cried as she collapsed to the ground. "You're just a big meanie!" She was balling for no apparent reason, which weirded Gill and Teddiursa out as they watched this. She was pouting like a baby with her Miltank being sent back into her Pokéball.

Gill was about to ask about his Gym Badge when one of the other Trainers approached him. The others had already circled around Whitney in attempt to cheer her up. The girl beside Gill just shook her head as she began to explain that this always happened whenever she watched. She advised Gill to come back in about an hour that way they could calm Whitney down so that she could be a little more professional.

Gill could only nod his head as he agreed to leave, for now, and told himself that this was the weirdest Gym he had been to yet.

* * *

Gill waited the hour that the Trainer told him to wait before returning to the Goldenrod City Gym. He made sure to bring Lyra and Brendon with him in case Whitney still refused to hand over the Gym Badge he earned. They marched into the Gym where the Gym Leader had better be ready give him the badge.

The trio entered the Gym and saw the Trainers gathered around Whitney. She was still crying from her lose, which Gill just couldn't seem to figure out why she was still crying over a loss. She was Gym Leader; she was supposed to be tougher than that. At least that's what Gill thought how a Gym Leader should behave since they were supposed to be like the best, Pokémon Trainer in the city.

Whitney managed to wipe away the last of her tears as Gill finally went up to her. She approached the young Trainer with something shinny in her hands. "I'm sorry about that," said the Gym Leader. "It looks like I still have some growing up to do. So here is your reward for defeating me, the Plain Badge."

The Gym Leader present Gill with his newest Gym Badge. It was a plain, yellow diamond with a white outline around it. Gill took the badge in his hands and smiled as he looked upon his latest victory. At least he could say he ended his journey as a winner, it was better than having lost then being forced to going home.

"Now with the Plain Badge," continued Whitney, "you can use the HM Strength outside of battle. You should also take this TM as a special gift. It contains the move Attract, I'm sure you know how it works now since I used it against you. But remember, it only works on Pokémon of the opposite gender."

"Thank you, Whitney," said Gill.

"It's my pleasure," said Whitney. "I wish you luck with the rest of your journey."

Gill thanked her again as he spun back around and left the Gym with his sister and her boyfriend. As soon as they left, it was then Gill was in for a big surprise. The boy's eyes lit up with shock as he saw his father standing only a few feet away from the Goldenrod City Gym. Victor Hart stood perfectly still with his hands in his pockets with his eyes meeting his son's.

Lyra started to smile as she pulled Brendon aside so that her father and brother could talk. She made the call to their dad as soon as Gill said he was going to challenge Whitney. She told him to get here as soon as possible because they were going to need to have a talk.

"How did your Gym Battle go?" asked Victor. "Did you win the Plain Badge?"

"Yes," Gill said, holding up his third Gym Badge. "It was hard, but I managed to pull through a win. I have my Pokémon to thank."

"Excellent job, Gill," said Victor. "She might not look it, but Whitney is one of the harder Gym Leaders to defeat in Johto, especially for newer Trainers. I'm proud of you, Gill. And it's time that you know that your mother and I have finally made a decision."

Gill frowned as he prepared to hear that he needed to go home. But he was in for a major surprise though when Victor opened his mouth to continue.

"You can continue on your journey," Victor said, smiling. The look of surprise on Gill's face was too precious. Victor placed his hands on his son's shoulders as he continued to smile. "You can continue on one condition though. Someone has to continue the journey with you. Team Rocket already attacked you once, your mother and I can't let you continue this journey with a clear conscious without someone there to help you."

"Who can go with me though?"

"Ahem!" Lyra said, clearing her throat. She gained Gill's attention as Victor released his son. The young woman approached her brother and snuck her arm around his. "I told mom and dad that I'd go with you on your journey. Brendon volunteered for the job too so you have two Trainers to protect you from creeps like Team Rocket."

"Plus," Brendon said, while joining Gill and his girlfriend, "this gives me an excuse to explore Johto. It gives me the opportunity to restart my journey since I already collected the eight Gym Badges of the Hoenn Region."

"You two sure?" asked Gill. "I don't want to be a bother."

"It's not a bother at all," said Lyra and Brendon.

Gill laughed as he thanked them both for helping him on his journey. The three of them were already preparing for what they would have to do on their journey, while Victor watched the three Trainers. He released his Dragonite from his Pokéball and returned to New Bark Town as his children and friend returned to the apartment.

It would be a long night of preparations to be ready to start this journey.

Victor wished them all luck and plenty of safety.


	12. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Well, here is another smashing chapter for all you good kiddies! I'm exhausted and I had to restrain myself from writing a full lemon. You'll see what I mean soon enough as you get your fix of Silver and Gill! HEHE! Read and review.

**Chapter Eleven: **

The apartment was a mess as Lyra and Brendon worked on packing their things. They had immediately called their jobs at the Trainer Academy in the city to take some time off. Both of them got the month off since the academy wasn't in need of the Trainers' services as the students would need to focus on their upcoming exams.

"Brendon," shouted Lyra, "have you seen where I put my‒"

"Top drawer on the left," Brendon said, before she could finish that sentence.

Gill wasn't sure he wanted to know what his sister was looking for. Brendon was quick about shutting him up, which made the boy worry as to what had to be censored. He tried not to think too much about it as he sat on the couch and waited for his new travel companions to show up.

Lyra and Brendon came out from their bedroom with a bag packed for each one. Lyra had a purse with her too, which Gill wasn't sure why she brought it along with the messenger bag she had slung over her shoulder. As for Brendon, he had simple backpack on with his Pokéballs strapped to his belt that were slightly covered by his shirt.

"Ready, Gill?" asked Lyra.

"I've been ready," said Gill. "So, I guess we're off to Ecruteak Town next? I need to challenge the Gym Leader there."

"But first things first!" said Brendon. "We need to take a quick trip to the National Park! They have a Bug Catching Contest there that Lyra and I have been dying to compete in!"

"Let's get going!" Lyra cheered as he dragged Gill away.

They left the apartment and took off for the park.

* * *

Passed Route 35 was the National Park of Johto. The park was specifically designed to house Pokémon, while providing a comfortable environment for nature enthusiasts. At the center of the park was a fountain in the shape of a Pokéball that was said to grant the wishes of people if you prayed in front of it. Gill was a little curious about the fountain and the rest of the park since he had never been to the park before.

Lyra and Brendon acted like they were at home as they wandered into the park. They immediately ditched Gill as soon as they found the registration table for the Bug Catching Contest. Gill didn't bother to try and stop them since he wanted to check the park out on his own. He was a curious boy who liked to go exploring on his own, despite the fact that he tended to get into a lot of trouble when he was by himself.

Gill didn't seem to care as he started to wander around the park. It was such a nice day too so he figured that he might as well let some of his Pokémon out of their Pokéballs. He took out Pidgeotto and Quilava so that they could get some fresh air. They had been cooped up in their Pokéballs the longest so they were in need of some fun. The two Pokémon emerged and immediately took in their new surroundings.

"Stay close to me, okay?" said Gill.

His Pokémon nodded their heads as they began to move. Pidgeotto flew up into the air to stretch his wings out, while Quilava started to walk beside his Trainer. They walked into the middle of the park and stayed along the fenced off section. Within the fence was where Trainers could battle each other and it was also where the Bug Catching Contest took place. It was a weird harmony that the Bug Pokémon and all the Pokémon at the park had. It was like they knew what days the contests were on so they would show up then to take part in the contest.

Outside of the fence was strictly for the Pokémon. It was the Pokémon habitat where they were allowed to roam safely without worrying about Trainers trying to capture or battle them.

The park was beautiful to say the least.

Gill felt at ease as he wandered down the grassy path. He looked around to see all the Trainers trying to find the best Bug Pokémon to capture and win the contest. He felt a little nervous with his Pidgeotto flying around there. He decided to recall the Pokémon just to be certain that he didn't strike while another Trainer was trying to capture it. Quilava faithfully stayed at his Trainer's side, nuzzling his warm face against the boy's leg.

"Cool! I've never seen a Quilava before!"

Gill turned his head to the side to see another boy coming towards them. The other boy's skin was lightly tanned that gave him an almost exotic color. His lengthy, black hair went down to his shoulders and had a white ribbon tied at the very end to hold it in place. He dressed rather simply in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He was defiantly taller than Gill, no doubt he was older too, and by the hungry look for battle in those green eyes, Gill was willing to bet that the boy was a Trainer.

The younger Trainer played nice though as he looked up towards the older boy. Quilava stared at the newcomer with much curiosity, especially since he noticed a small Fox Pokémon beside him. Gill noticed this too and realized that the Pokémon was a Vulpix.

"I've had him since he was a Cyndaquil," Gill said, politely. "Hi, I'm Gill Hart from New Bark Town."

"Oh!" said the other boy. "Sorry about that. I'm Julian. Wait a minute, did you say Hart? You wouldn't happen to be related to the Johto League Champion, would you?"

Gill nodded his head. "That's my dad," he said, smiling.

Julian's eyes lit up as soon as he heard those words coming out of Gill's mouth. He playfully shoved Gill's shoulder, which provoked a growl from Quilava. "No way!" Julian said, excitedly. "Victor Hart is your dad? That's just incredible! He's my idol; I became a Trainer because of your dad!"

"You'll be surprised how often I get that," said Gill.

"So what is the Champion's son doing at the National Park?" asked Julian. "You taking part in the contest?"

"The Champion's son isn't," Gill said, mocking the older boy a little, "but that Champion's daughter and her boyfriend are. I'm just here to kill some time until my sister and her boyfriend get done with the contest. I feel like doing a little exploring."

Julian chuckled as he straightened himself up. He scooped his Vulpix up and held her in his lean arms. "Well, I guess I'll leave you alone then, Gill," said Julian. "It was a pleasure meeting you. Maybe we could battle sometime in the future. I'd love to battle Champion's son someday to see if he is anywhere near as good as his dad."

"Maybe we can," Gill said, hiding a smirk.

Julian waved him off before taking off in the direction of Route 36.

Gill would never admit it to anyone, but he hated being called the Champion's son and constantly being compared to him. How could he compare to the Johto League Champion? He was still just a kid, for crying out loud! It frustrated Gill to no end as he started walking deeper in the park, getting away from the contest area and all the people there.

With a heavy sigh, he sat down against the fence as Quilava lay down beside him. The boy scratched the neck of his Pokémon, which made the Fire-type purr with delight. Gill could only smirk as he looked off to the side where he noticed a hole in the fence where someone could fit. He looked at it a little closer just as he saw a familiar pair of black boots hiding in the bushes.

Gill immediately jumped to his feet and recalled Quilava into the Pokéball. He looked around to make sure that no one was watching him before taking off to the broken fence and crawling underneath it. Gill easily fit through the broken wiring without getting a scratch on him.

The boy sprang back onto his feet when he noticed a familiar form walking deeper into the trees.

"Don't go," Gill found himself whispering as he took off in that direction.

* * *

Gill had probably been running after the form for about five minutes now. He had yet to catch the figure because he kept disappearing in different parts of the woods. The trees were large and bulky enough to block anyone's vision, making it easier for someone to sneak away without being caught.

Now the boy was left wondering if he really did see what he thought he saw. He paused for a moment and really thought about it. There was no way that it was really him. Why would he be at the park? This was just a trick that his mind was playing on him, taking advantage of the feelings that he had for the older boy.

Gill was about to give up on his hopeless endeavor and return to the others when he heard rustling behind him. He spun around to see the shrubs behind him to see that there was nothing out of the ordinary about it. It was probably just a Pokémon, he convinced himself. Gill just shook his head at himself as he turned back around when he suddenly felt arms wrapping around him.

The air was taken from him as he was pinned against a tree. At that point, terror was about to grip onto Gill when he smelt the familiar musk and his knees suddenly became weak. The hot breath of his captor blew against the skin on his neck with lips ghosting over it. The arms around him began to loosen up to just hold him by his chest, freeing Gill's own arms as the captor's hands roamed down to his waist.

"Hi," said a lightly, husky voice.

"Silver," Gill gasped, startled that this was really happening.

Gill was spun around once more this time so he could face his captor. Silver pinned Gill back against the tree, his chest fully pressed against the younger boy. Silver's nose was barely touching Gill's, but it was more than enough to make the boy very weak. Gill was panting now as Silver's hands roamed all over the lower half of his body, while his own were smooshed with the palms touching Silver's chest.

"What are you doing here?" Gill weakly cried.

"I came here for you," Silver whispered, darkly. He grabbed onto Gill's legs and easily hoisted the boy up into the air. He spread Gill's legs apart to press himself closer to the boy. Gill shivered as he felt terribly uncomfortable while Silver's lips continued to ghost over the side of his face. "You smell so good. So sweet and so innocent."

"Silver," whimpered Gill.

He was silenced though as Silver delivered the kiss. Every nerve in Gill's body began to tingle as he succumbed to Silver's kiss. His arms reached out around the older boy's neck, while Silver continued to hold him up by the legs. They stayed like this for what felt like hours until Gill just couldn't breathe any longer and had to break the kiss.

Gill was panting and felt a burning sensation all over his body when it focused onto his neck. He cried out with painful pleasure as he felt Silver's teeth nibbling on that part of skin. There was light sucking around the region, which made Gill's cries all the more pathetic as he was pushed into heat.

Silver's hands now cupped the boy's ass as he stuffed them into the tight fabric to feel the briefs that covered him. Gill couldn't breathe as Silver continued to touch him. Every part of his body felt like it was being burned as he struggled to get to break free from his clothes. It was the clothes that were burning him, they were just too constricting.

Silver could feel Gill's burning because his own was beginning to stir. He never wanted the boy so much before, a foreign feeling that he no longer bothered to keep contained at the moment. He just rubbed the front of his pants against the boy so that Gill could feel just how hard this was for him. He rubbed against him and met the hardness of the boy as well, although it was significantly smaller then his own desire.

"You belong to me," Silver whispered into Gill's ear as he tugged on the boy's hair. He pressed on the bruise that he had made on Gill's neck only seconds before. Gill cried out when pain but Silver pressed his lips against it to create pleasure for the boy. "You are mine."

Gill didn't want to argue as he allowed Silver to do just about anything he wanted with him.

But Silver wasn't going to pull the trigger today, not just yet. Silver still retained enough of his patience to maintain control. He was well aware that Gill was here with people so he wouldn't go that far. He would wait until Gill was completely alone or as alone as possible before that day came.

Silver was just satisfied with having Gill like this, a moaning mess that was begging for his touch.

Soon enough, Gill would be begging for much more than a little touch.

For a while time ceased to matter for Gill.

* * *

The boy snuck out of the broken fence with Silver prying the opening wider so that he could escape. Gill stumbled back onto his feet, feeling exhausted as he was returning from the cloud of lust. He brushed a stray lock of hair back to touch his bangs perfectly. Silver's hand briefly touched his, sending the shiver back down the boy's spine as he looked into those gray eyes.

"So," whispered Gill, "what are we? Where do we stand?"

"I don't know," Silver said, honestly. "Rivals, I can say that much, but I don't know what else."

Gill nodded his head, knowing that was the best response that he was going to get. He was about to say something else when he heard someone calling his name out. He immediately began to panic as he thought it was Lyra or Brendon, but he calmed down when he saw Julian. The fear diminished as he slowly began to pick his collar up to hide the hickey he had on his neck.

Julian caught sight of the bruise then began to pay a little more attention to the older boy beside Gill. There was obviously something going on between the two, he was intuitive enough to know that. He was hardly an idiot.

"I just forgot," Julian said, "to get your number. That way we can challenge each other to a battle."

"Oh right," Gill said, moving away from Silver.

But as Gill handed his number over, Julian could feel the tension escalading with Silver around. There was something those gray eyes that were absolutely terrifying. He had gulped the fear that was bridging inside of him as he left as soon as possible.

Gill was a little alarmed to see that Julian had left so quickly, but he just chalked it up as the boy's personality. He turned back around to see that Silver was tense and had something spiteful burning in his eyes. The young Trainer was worried that something might happen so he needed to say something to calm him down.

"Did you go off to the other Gyms?" Gill asked. "The Goldenrod City Gym Leader came back, I have to warn you though that she is a bit of a crybaby when she loses."

"Well, I suppose I should go crush her spirit then," Silver huffed as he started to take off. "Goodbye Gill. I'll see you soon enough."

"Bye, Silver," Gill whispered, unsure of what just happened.

Silver was gone almost in the blink of the eye.

Gill was completely confused by what just happened as he started to walk like a mindless zombie. He was approaching the gate that would lead over to Route 36 when he finally saw Lyra and Brendon coming towards them. They both carried frowns on their faces as they held up a berry in their hands.

They had lost the contest, but they both managed to catch a new Pokémon.

They walked to the gate together to make their journey to Ecruteak City.

* * *

It was amazing just how lost three people could get in ten minutes. Even though all three of them had a map of some kind, they were still as lost as blindman out in sea. They wandered around Route 36 like a bunch of idiots as they argued which one was right about where they were going.

"It's this way!" said Lyra.

"No, it's that way," said Brendon.

"No, dumb and dumber," said Gill, "it's over there."

And that's how they spent another ten minutes. They fought long and hard about where they were supposed to be going, scaring off all the wild Pokémon in the process. So as this went on, even the Trainers that were running around began to take off in the other direction. They didn't want to deal with those psychos as they continued to fight against each other.

Gill was the loudest out of the three as he fought against them. The trio kept on wandering around, lost on Route 36 and woke up the sleeping Trainer there. It turned out to be none other than Julian who was napping next to a tree when he was forced to wake up because of all the rowdy fighting.

"Will ya'll shut up!" shouted Julian. "Some of us want to take a nap!"

"It's you!" Gill said, noticing the boy peaking behind the tree.

"Hey," Julian said, smiling. "What up, Gill! It's been like what, two hours? What are you three fighting about anyways?"

"We're a little lost," said Lyra. "We're trying to find our way to Ecruteak City. Do you know how to get there?"

"Duh!" said Julian. "I'm from Ecruteak City, but it's gonna cost you! Gill, you need to have a one-on-one battle with me for me to help you out. I want to see which of us is better. You down?"

"Yeah," Gill said, taking out a Pokéball.

Brendon and Lyra took a step back to give the boys space to battle. Julian was quick about sending out his Vulpix from her Pokéball. Gill decided to make this a real firefight so he sent Quilava out to better. He noticed the amused smirk on Julian's face and didn't look like he was surprised by the choice.

Brendon sprang into the middle to be the referee of the fight. He told the Trainers to begin fighting, which they did with a bang.

Vulpix and Quilava sent an Ember attack out after each other. Flames flew throughout the place, but the two Pokémon were unharmed as they went back at it. Julian was quick about issuing out a few Embers followed by a Bite attack. The Embers were a distraction for Quilava, but he wasn't about to fall for the Bite. Gill had him dodge quickly enough and called for a Tackle to knock Vulpix away.

Vulpix was light on her feet though. Julian called out a Fire Spin with a surge of embers circling around her. Gill shouted for a Flame Wheel to be used against her. The two Fire-types dramatically went after each other, creating a massive explosion of fire. Sparks flew out all over the place and the Trainers were left wondering what happened.

Quilava and Vulpix were both lying beside each other, both clearly down for the count.

"It's…a tie," said Brendon. "Wow…nice job?"

"Return!" shouted Gill and Julian.

Julian shrugged as he stuffed Vulpix's Pokéball into his pocket for now. He went over towards Gill and patted the boy's sore shoulder. "Keep going north," he said, softly. "You'll be there in about ten minutes. Now, I'm heading over to Violet City. I got a date to attend."

He waved the trio off as he went in the opposite direction.

Lyra started to drag Gill north with Brendon following close behind them.

* * *

The trio could almost see the city now as they got closer to their destination. Gill saw the blinking light on his Pokégear going off, notifying that they were on their way. They were cheerful now as they no longer felt the need to fight and try to kill each other about which way they were supposed to go.

Lyra was about to thank the guy for helping them out, even though he couldn't hear. There was rustling that came from the trees that made the three of them look up. It was then that they saw something coming down from the sky that made the three of them part ways. A brown, tree-like Pokémon had attacked them, which startled the trio.

"Sudowoodo," Gill said, scanning the Pokémon with his Pokédex. "It's a Rock-type Pokémon. I can beat him with my Poliwag."

"Let me take care of this," Brendon said, throwing a Pokéball. "Go Mudkip!" A flash of light escaped the Pokéball as a blue Pokémon emerged. Gill tried to scan it, but had difficulties until he thought about switching to the National Pokédex mode. It was then that he learned that Mudkip was native in the Hoenn Region, a Water-type that was a common Starter Pokémon for most Trainers there.

Brendon quickly issued the order for a Water Gun. Mudkip wasted no time in building the water up inside of him before spewing it at the Sudowoodo. The Rock-type didn't even know what hit him as the torrent of water crashed into him. The Imitation Pokémon was thrown into a tree and was clearly out of it as he entered a dazed state.

With a smirk growing on his face, Brendon grabbed a Pokéball then threw it at the Sudowoodo. The Pokéball hit the target and caught the Rock-type. It briefly shook, but the light at the middle signaled that the Pokémon was caught. It was then that Brendon grew a massive smile as he ran over to pick up the Pokéball up and held it in his hands.

"I caught a Sudowoodo!" Brendon cheered, beginning to victory dance with Mudkip.

Lyra and Gill laughed as they went over to Brendon.

They hooked onto his arms and dragged him over to Ecruteak City where Gill's next Gym Battle waited.


	13. Chapter 12

Author's Note: Here is another great chapter, kiddos! And those of you who are curious, Lyra and Brendon won't permanently be with Gill. Silver will eventually replace the both of them, but not until Kanto starts to show up. This chapter is a little longer then the last one, but there isn't as much sexual goodness as the last one. hehe. Read and review!

**Chapter Twelve:**

Ecruteak City was a fairly charming town that reminded them all of Violet City. There were similarities in the sense that both towns seemed to prefer the older style of architecture. The city was very historical and still bore the old traditions that made it the most mythical city in all of Johto. Many of the ancient legends that existed in the Johto Region could all be traced back to this one city.

Gill, Lyra, and Brendon wandered into the city and immediately took in the fresh scent of the city. A relaxing breeze took over them, making each of them smile as they figured out what to do next. The first thing that they seemed to agree on was to get to the Pokémon Center so that they could get a place to stay.

They were on their way to the center when Gill too noticed of a burned building. It was more of a tower, but it was nearly completely charred by a fire that raged long ago. His curiosity began to peak as he wondered about it when he saw a second tower that was far larger and stood in the distance. The two towers seemed to bare some connection that much was obvious to the boy as he made it inside the Pokémon Center, narrowly avoiding walking into the wall.

The Nurse Joy of the center quickly took care of the Trainers and fetched a room for the three of them. Lyra and Brendon got their own room, while Gill was on his own. The boy decided to stay downstairs to wait for his Pokémon to be returned to him. Lyra and her boyfriend went upstairs to drop their things off before going to see what the town had to offer them. Gill started to contemplate his strategy for battling this Gym Leader since he heard rumors that the city's Gym Leader specialized with Ghost-type Pokémon.

"It's all done, Nurse Joy," said a calm, accented voice. "It appears that someone carelessly tried to transfer and Eevee, which caught stuck in the connection point."

At this point, Gill's curiosity took over him once again. The boy spun his body around to see a young man standing by the counter. He had wavy, brown hair that had almost a natural curl to it. He was dressed very casually in a violet, collared shirt with khaki pants. His light complexion made it obvious that he didn't go outside often enough and Gill could tell that this young man had an affinity for technology.

"Oh, the poor Pokémon," said Nurse Joy. "Thank you for rescuing him, Bill. I'll take care of immediately the poor thing. Hopefully, he'll be able to make a full recovery."

"I hope so too," said the young man. "I hope that Eevee will be able to find a good Trainer. I would take him it, but alas I wouldn't be able to take care of the poor dear. Eevee deserves a good Trainer."

Gill's mind wanted to explode as he really did hear it. As wrong as this sounded, but an Eevee was up for grabs! Eevee was an incredibly rare Pokémon to find in the wild. Most Trainers who had one usually got them from a Breeder, and the Breeders charged a lot for this rare Pokémon.

Without a second though, Gill immediately sprang up to his feet and went over to the counter. His footsteps was already enough of an alarm to alert the two at the counter. Gill blushed as he felt like an idiot for doing this, but he had to at least give it a shot.

"Excuse me, sir," Gill said, softly, "but did you say that you found an Eevee that needs a good Trainer?"

"Yes," said Bill, "and who might you be?"

"My name is Gill Hart. I'm a Trainer from New Bark Town," said the boy. He felt guilty about this, but he was going to pull the best card up his sleeve. He wanted an Eevee so bad, almost as bad as he had wanted a Dratini before the Dragon Sages rewarded him with one. "You might have heard of my father, Victor Hart, the Champion of Johto."

"The Champion's son," whispered the young man. "Well, that seems interesting enough. I am Bill. I designed the Pokémon Storage System that Trainers use to transmit their Pokémon to their predetermined areas for safe-keeping. You might have heard of it or used it during your travels."

"I haven't personally used it yet," Gill admitted, "but my father told me how to though. I personally want to show dedication to the Pokémon in my team already."

"How many Pokémon do you have with you?" asked Bill.

"Six," said Gill. "I hadn't found a seventh that I want to add to my team just yet. I've always dreamed of having an Eevee though, but they're nearly impossible to catch and Breeders charge so much."

Bill listened to the boy's tone of voice to see just how truthful he was. The Poké Maniac could see the honesty in the boy and felt the purity behind his plea. He might not be that great with his people skills, but he did an excellent job when it came to reading people.

"Alright," said Bill. "I'll trust you with the care of Eevee, but promise me that you won't hurt this poor Pokémon. He has suffered a lot. I'm trusting you with him."

"I promise!" Gill said, cheerfully.

Bill smiled as he instructed Nurse Joy to give the Eevee to Gill once he made his full recovery. The nurse agreed to this when she got the results of the Eevee's initial examination. She said it would be at least a day until the Pokémon made a full recovery with, which Gill was perfectly okay with.

"Well then, take care of yourself and your Pokémon, Gill," said Bill. "It was a pleasure meeting you. Goodbye Nurse Joy. I hope to see you both again soon."

"Goodbye Gill," said Nurse Joy.

"Bye Bill," said Gill, "and thank you for the Eevee!"

Bill nodded his head before walking out of the Pokémon Center to return home.

* * *

The three Trainers shared a quick lunch together before Gill decided to take off to explore the town on his own. Lyra and Brendon agreed to let him go only because they knew that no one would dare to do anything in the middle of the city. Ecruteak City was known as one of the safest cities in the Johto Region due to the strong police force and the sages who protected the historical city.

Gill was relieved that he didn't have to fight with either one for his freedom. Besides, he had some serious questions that he needed to be answered. The experience at the Ruins of Alph had awakened something within the boy that he needed to understand.

The first chance he got, Gill took off and left the Pokémon Center with his fully healed team. The only one he didn't have was the Eevee, which Nurse Joy said still needed more time before he was fully healed. That didn't bother the Trainer, the Pokémon's health was far more important to him.

Outside, Gill could see the sun slowly turning rosy as sunset approached them. He was going to need to act fast if he was going to get some information out of the people of the city. The first thing he decided to go was towards the burned tower in the distance. He couldn't explain it, but he felt that the tower was the first place he needed to go.

So without any hesitating, the boy began to make his way towards the tower.

It took about fifteen minutes to get there, but Gill made it to the tower. He stared at it for a minute and was lost in the horrific beauty of it. The tower was nearly, completely destroyed and so went with it the possible secrets it kept. Gill couldn't make understand what had happened to cause destruction to what probably was a large tower.

"You are not from here, aren't you, young man?" Gill looked behind him to see an older man in a sage's robes standing behind him. The old man took a few steps closer to Gill, focusing more on the tower that stood before them. "This is the Burned Tower, a hundred and fifty years ago; it was known as the Brass Tower."

"What happened to it?" asked Gill.

"There was a storm," said the old man. "A bolt of lightning struck the tower, causing a terrible fire. The fire burned the tower, no one could stop the fire until came a sudden downpour. The rain squelched the flames, but it came at the cost of lives of three Pokémon. Another great Pokémon resided in the Brass Tower, but it fled towards the sea as soon as the fire began. Another Pokémon made its nest on the Bell Tower and it fled too after the storm, but it was said that the Pokémon used its power to revive the Pokémon who perished from the storm."

"What kind of Pokémon has the power to raise the dead?" said Gill. "I never heard of such a power."

"That is the power of Ho-Oh."

"Ho-Oh!" Gill said, in shock.

The boy remembered the name that the Unown made back at the Ruins of Alph. They spelt out the name Ho-Oh, a Legendary Pokémon that was said to reside around Ecruteak City. Somehow, Gill was able to pick that he and Ho-Oh must've bore some sort of connection with one of another. But how was that possible though? What kind of possible relation could he have to a Legendary Pokémon?

The sage said farewell to the young Trainer and took off in the direction of the Bell Tower.

Gill looked up to the Burned Tower, deciding that he needed to go inside to find out its secrets.

* * *

The first thing that Gill noticed when he entered the Burned Tower was the fact that it looked worse on the inside then on the outside. The entire place was destroyed by the fire that struck over a hundred years ago. It was no wonder that people avoided entering the place. He wondered why the sage wasn't adamant about keeping the young Trainer away from the tower.

Safety clearly wasn't that big of an issue for them.

Gill kept on wandering deeper into the tower when he began to hear talking. He focused as much as he could on the voices, unconsciously wandering towards them. The boy hadn't even realized he was following the two sets of voices until he saw the men that they belonged to.

The first one that he noticed was tall and blond. He looked to be lean, yet strong despite the layers of clothes that he wore. A black sweater covered his chest with purple cuffs around his wrists, white pants covered his legs. A purple scarf was wrapped around his neck with red looking flames at the end. His shoulder length blond hair was kept up with a purple headband that showed off more of his pale complexion and brown eyes.

As for the other man, he looked like a stage magician. He was dressed in a purple suit/tuxedo deal that made him look more like a cheesy magician in Gill's book. There were light purple diamonds on the front of his coat. A red bowtie held the white cape he wore in place, keeping it from falling off. The pale faced man had deep blue eyes and lengthy, blond hair that was styled neatly with gel.

"Can't you see it, Morty!" said the magician. "Suicune is down there. It looks just as magnificent as ever. And beside it sleeps Entei and Raikou. The Legendary Beasts revived by the great Ho-Oh! They are so close to us, but yet they continue to sleep in this petrified state."

"They will continue to sleep too," said the other man, "until the pure-hearted Trainer arrives, Eusine. I still doubt that we are the ones of the legend. This Trainer is said to be exceptionally pure, worthy enough to be graced by the presence of the rainbow-winged Pokémon, Ho-Oh."

"We mustn't give up!" said Eusine. "I will awaken Suicune so I can see the beauty of the Pokémon with my own eyes, Morty!"

"Easy friend," said Morty.

Gill felt bold as he approached the two. His footsteps echoed in the ruined tower, alerting the two men to his presence. They both looked startled and even seemed to turn hostile until they realized that it was just a boy. "Sorry about that," said the young Trainer. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I just wanted to see the tower for myself." He kept his distance from them, not wanting to risk any attempt at provoking them.

"Are you a Trainer?" asked Morty.

"Yes," said the boy. "My name is Gill. I'm from New Bark Town. I'm a journey to become the next Johto Champion."

"That's a big dream for someone so young," said Morty. "I am the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City. My name is Morty. And this is my childhood friend, Eusine. We are here to study the Legendary Beasts, three Legendary Pokémon who had their lives restored by Ho-Oh after the fire that destroyed the Burned Tower took their lives."

"And there they slumber," Eusine said, pointing at the giant hole in the ground. Gill approached until he could see the three statues that stood below them. He was amazed that these were Pokémon since they appeared to be more statues then a living entity. "Suicune, Raikou, and Entei. They are the Legendary Beasts of Johto. They represent the events that took place in the Brass Tower's destruction. Raikou represents the lightning that struck the tower, Entei represents the flames that burned the tower, and Suicune represents the rain that saved the tower."

"Cool," Gill whispered, stupidly.

Morty started to chuckle as he approached his friend. He locked his arm around Eusine's arm and started to drag him away. "We're going to continue our investigation of the tower," the Gym Leader informed the boy. "Please, be careful here, Gill. The tower isn't that stable and you could possibly injure yourself while here. I will see you soon, no doubt at my Gym."

Gill had to agree with that one as he watched as the Gym Leader and the magician wannabe took off.

The curiosity gene began to rear its ugly head as Gill took off on his own. He wandered around another part of the Burned Tower that was much further away from where Morty and Eusine were. The boy kept his eyes peeled for anything interesting, anything at all that might deal with Ho-Oh.

Common sense would've told Gill to follow Morty, but curiosity overruled common sense. Maybe that was what made Gill such a magnet for trouble. He needed to think with a little more common sense in order to function in a more proper manner. At least in a way that would probably wouldn't lead to him getting in so much trouble.

And speak of trouble, Gill could feel trouble brewing around him. He grabbed his Pidgeotto's Pokéball then spun around to see what was there. Shock coursed through him as he saw that there was someone behind him. It turned out to be none other than Silver too, which was the most shocking thing.

"How?" Gill said, sounding confused.

Silver only smirked as he slowly made his approach. His expression was slightly frightening and Gill was unsure of what was going on. "You're incapable of staying out of trouble by yourself," said Silver. "Besides, I wanted my rematch before I defeat the Goldenrod City Gym Leader. I want to beat you now that you got your confidence back."

Gill took sight of the Pokéball in Silver's hand, seeing just how serious he was. The boy nodded his head as he realized that he wanted this battle too. "Three-on-three," said the boy. "No substitutions."

"Deal," said Silver. "Go for it, Golbat!"

"Pidgeotto, go!" shouted Gill.

The battle began quickly as the two Flying-types crashed into each other. Golbat was the first to break free, looking slightly frightening with his massive, batty mouth. The Pokémon tried to used Bite to weaken Pidgeotto, but Gill's Pokémon succeeded in flying away from his foe. Pidgeotto responded with a powerful Gust that blew the Golbat away.

The attack wouldn't win the match, but it did leave its mark. Silver called for a Wing Attack, which led to Golbat's wings to glow with power. Golbat charged after Pidgeotto and delivered the attack with a critical hit. Pidgeotto got hurt pretty bad by the attack, but he still had the strength in him to keep battling.

Next came a Tackle attack from Pidgeotto as revenge. Golbat was pushed back a few feet, looking almost as horrible his foe. The two collided into each other once more and put an end to the match. The two Flying Pokémon were blown away by the impact and crashed to the ground, both no longer able to battle.

Silver growled with fury and Gill just sighed as they both recalled their Pokémon. They switched it up with their next Pokémon, tossing the Pokéball into the air. Gill released his Teddiursa who was ready to battle. Silver released a new Pokémon, a Magnemite. The Electric-type was also part Steel-type, which would make this a difficult match for Teddiursa. Gill hid a smirk though since he had taught her how to Rock Smash, a Fighting-type move that was super effective against Steel-types.

"Thundershock!" shouted Silver.

Magnemite's body began to glow as it fired bolts of lightning from the magnets on the sides. The Thundershock crashed in front of Teddiursa, avoiding the attack with her speed. Gill scanned the attacks of his enemy. The only two attacks he really had to worry about were Thunder Wave and Supersonic. Those were the only ones that were going to be troublesome for him, making it all the more difficult for him to win.

Sonicboom came rushing towards Teddiursa, making Teddiursa have to respond with her speed advantage. She hoped away from the attack before the impact could damage the wooden floor she was once standing on. Gill tensed up as he worried just how bad this could turn out if he didn't end this quickly. Magnemite's attack would damage the fragile state of the tower, making this very dangerous for the both of them.

Gill had Teddiursa jump after the Magnemite to put an end to this. He called out for a Rock Smash, which led to Teddiursa using the attack to cause her fist to glow. Silver had Magnemite use Thundershock in response, which could only end one way or another. The Thundershock crashed into Teddiursa, but she fought through it and managed to deliver the Rock Smash at the head of Magnemite.

One hit was all that was needed to beat the rival Pokémon.

Magnemite landed on the ground, unable to battle. Silver growled with frustration as he recalled his Pokémon, knowing that he had to win the next match just to get a tie. It disgusted him that it was coming down to this, but he was also impressed by how much Gill had improved. At least things were finally beginning to get interesting.

Teddiursa was recalled into the Pokéball with Gill pulling another out. He decided to stuff that one back into his pocket before pulling another out that he knew he wanted to battle. He looked at Silver to see him sending out his last Pokémon, which turned out to be none other than Croconaw. This just might turn out to be a little easier for him then he expected. Gill tossed the Pokéball, releasing Togetic from it.

"Is that the Togepi that hatched from the egg?" Silver asked, seeing Togetic flying towards him.

Togetic was jumping for joy as he flew around Silver, while Croconaw growled at her. She was excited to see Silver again as she flew around and kissed his head. Silver flinched from the sudden affection just as Togetic flew back towards her Trainer.

"She evolved during my last Gym Battle," said Gill. "And she is going to kick your butt! Togetic, use Extrasensory!"

Togetic's eyes gained a golden glow before she fired a rainbow blast of light at Croconaw. Croconaw blocked the attack by spewing a Water Gun after the attack. The attacks managed to cancel each other out, but it angered Croconaw that his attack got blocked. He stomped his way over to Togetic as his battle instincts took over. His fangs grew cold as he used a new move, Ice Fang, to attack Togetic.

Barely avoiding the attack, Togetic flew a little higher before she got hit. Gill smirked as he called for Togetic to use Charm to weaken the offensive powers of Croconaw. Silver wasn't surprised to see such cheap tricks so he decided to do something about that. Croconaw used Scary Face to frighten Togetic, lowering her speed.

Croconaw tried to end this with a second Ice Fang, but Togetic managed to hold onto a bit of her speed. She hoped over Croconaw's head and Gill called for her to use Magical Leaf. Togetic nodded her head as she summoned a small storm of leaves that circled around her. The leaves appeared light-green and followed her command as she fired them at the Water-type.

The attack was super effective and hit Croconaw on his weak point. Silver's Pokémon gave a sharp gasp before falling to the ground, no longer able to battle.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Silver said, shaking his head. "Croconaw, return!"

Gill cheered himself on and Togetic for winning the battle.

"I won!" Gill said, cheerfully. "So that means I'm better then you are…for now."

Silver continued to shake his head as he approached Gill. He snatched onto the boy's arm, catching him by surprise before pulling the boy closer to him. Gill's body froze over with Silver's lips pressing against his own, taking him by force.

"Don't let it go to your head," Silver whispered. "I'll bet you next time."

Gill blushed as he felt Silver's hand grab onto his ass. The boy's face turned bright red with Silver finally pulling away from him. Togetic was still bouncing around above them before landing on Silver's shoulder, hugging him.

Gill watched her and smiled by how she hung onto Silver. His rival didn't seem to care though by her presence, but Gill had to do something about it. He took her Pokéball out, staring at it for a moment before handing it over to Silver.

"Take her," Gill said, smiling at him. "It's clear that Togetic wants to go with you. She thinks of us as her parents, she's spent enough time around me. It's only fair that she spends some time with you now."

"Seriously?" Silver said, staring at the Pokéball then at Togetic. Gill nodded his head with Togetic smiling as she continued to fly around him. Something inside of Silver began to grow warm, a feeling that he worked so hard to keep suppressed since he was a kid. No, he wouldn't allow himself to fall into that trap. "Alright, I'll take her and make her stronger. You can take my Golbat to make it a fair trade."

Silver took the Pokéball that belonged to Golbat, handing it over to Gill. He then took the Pokéball from Gill and recalled her into it. Silver started to walk away from Gill, not bothering to say a word as he began to leave.

Gill ran over to Silver and grabbed onto him from behind. He wrapped his arms around Silver, hugging him from behind with his head buried against his back. "Take care of her," he said, holding back tears. "Goodbye Silver…see you soon."

Silver was glad that Gill couldn't see the blush growing on his face. He placed his hand over the ones that were on his chest. "Goodbye Gill," Silver said, softly. He felt disgusted with himself for not being able to cover the emotion in his voice. He sounded…sad, and that was a weakness he didn't want to display.

Gill smiled as he released Silver, letting the boy he loved walk away from him. He kept the smile on his face even after he could no longer see Silver. He turned back around, still smiling as he kept on walking through the Burned Tower.

Unfortunately for him, Gill's bad luck kicked in as the floor that they had been battling on gave away and he fell to basement of the tower.

* * *

The landing was a little rough, but Gill managed to pull through it as he got back on his feet. The boy straightened himself out then started to make his way deeper into the burned basement of the tower. He kept his eyes peeled for anything suspicious, but didn't see anything that was exactly thrilling to him.

It was no long after that he discovered a small staircase. The steps were in fairly good condition so Gill was certain that they would support his lightweight. He climbed up until he could see the three Legendary Pokémon, frozen in time. Even the opening from the ceiling gave the perfect view to whoever might be watching from above.

Gill's heart stopped for a moment as the Legendary Pokémon's frozen eyelids opened up. The statue-like Pokémon were roused from their sleep by the first step that Gill took the elevated ground. Sparkles of light began to weave around the Legendary Beasts as time resumed for them once more with them returning to life.

At the far right stood a yellow Pokémon with black, lightning bolt lines and a white underside on the yellow fur. There was a light-blue tail with a star-shape at the end. A purple looking cape flew at the end of his head, a light-blue "X" was on his face, and a gray crest was on his forehead. The red-eyed, long fanged Pokémon stared at Gill.

To the far left stood a brown Pokémon with a long, thick mane. It has gray plates surrounding the cape that makes it look as if smoke is coming out of a crater on its back, and a plate beneath the cream belly fur on its chest. It has white paws with apparently retractable claws and brown paw pads, and black cuff-like bands on its legs. It has a red face with a white plate that resembles a handlebar mustache on its face, and a three-point yellow crest on its forehead. The red-eyed Pokémon focused in on the Trainer.

And the blue Pokémon at the middle of the other two. It was an elegant, slim, blue cheetah-like Pokémon with white diamond-shaped spots and a white underside. It has a purple, cape-like mane that resembles a northern aurora or a flowing river and two white streamer-like tails. It has a hexagonal, aquamarine-colored crest on its forehead, red irises, and a protrusion on the underside of its chin and small paws. Its paws have a small white oval on their underside. And it's red eyes were focused in on the boy that stood before it.

Gill was paralyzed with both fear and wonder as he stared at the three Pokémon.

The Legendary Beasts took the steps to approach the frozen boy. Gill's heart was pounding against his chest as he looked up to face the beasts before him. A slight growl escaped from each of the beasts, alerting Gill to what could turn out to be a very dangerous situation for him. Leave it to him to fall down a damn hole then get eaten by some Pokémon beasts. His dad was right, he was a walking disaster magnet.

He had to guess their names as he judged by their individual appearances. The brown furred one had to be Entei, the yellow one was probably Raikou, and the beautiful blue one had to be Suicune. Of all the Pokémon to encounter during his journey, Gill never imagined that he would encounter such Legendary Pokémon, especially at such a young age.

As the three beasts approached, light escaped Gill and did a good job about startling the boy. The three lights came from none other than his own Pokéballs. That had surprised him, but he was more surprised to see Quilava, Dratini, and Poliwag free from their confinement. His Pokémon faced the Legendary Pokémon head on.

Poliwag fired a Water Gun at the graceful looking Suicune. Quilava spewed an Ember from his mouth to attack the fiery Entei. Dratini released a Thunder Wave from her white ears to strike the shocking Raikou. Their attacks crashed into the Legendary Beasts, forcing them to stop their approach for a moment.

The results were less then desired for the Pokémon. The Legendary Beasts roared with anger as they drew in closer. Gill's Pokémon were still ready to fight, but Gill jumped in the way to protect his team from any potential harm. He spread his arms apart as he put himself between his Pokémon and the newly-awakened Legendary Beasts.

"Leave them be, please!" begged Gill. "My Pokémon were only trying to protect me. They didn't want to see me harmed again. Forgive me, Legendary Beasts, for awakening you. I apologize for waking you from your longer slumber."

Gill stopped himself when he saw Raikou flash with lightning surging around it. After that show, Raikou began to run up the walls before leaving the tower. Entei spewed a small breath of fire from its mouth that faded into the air. It followed Raikou's lead and took off as well, leaving Gill and his Pokémon alone with Suicune.

Suicune appeared as it were about to leave as it jumped passed Gill. But the Pokémon returned with such speed that not even Gill's Pokémon were prepared for it. The Legendary Pokémon faced Gill straight in the eyes, its face only inches away from the boy. The intense look in Suicune's eyes was hypnotically terrifying for Gill as he prayed that he wasn't killed by the Pokémon.

Suicune only gave a soft cry before stepping back and left, following the lead other two.

Gill was finally able to breathe like a normal person as he recalled his Pokémon before falling into paralyzing pit of fear.

* * *

The boy was paralyzed from his encounter with the Legendary Beasts. His body was still trembling from the experience, while his Pokémon continued to around their Trainer in a defensive manner. They were still ready for battle as they had appeared to attack the trio that threatened their Trainer.

It was until a hand touched his shoulder that the boy was able to snap out of it. Gill broke out of his trance to see that Morty was standing behind him. Eusine was there too, but he bore a dark glare in his blue eyes. Morty bore a smile though as he stood close to Gill, putting himself between the boy and Eusine.

"Ignore him," said Morty. "My friend is just jealous because you have clearly been chosen by Suicune."

"Not jealous," Eusine growled. He put himself in front of his Gym Leader friend, looking the hazel-eyed boy straight in his eyes. His expression began to soften as he too felt the innocent pull of the boy. "It appears that I have more research to do. With Suicune, Entei, and Raikou roaming around Johto, revived from their long slumber, I have no doubt that Ho-Oh shall soon follow. We will meet again, young Gill."

Eusine swung his cape around as he took off, ascending the charred steps of the Burned Tower.

Morty sighed as he shook his head at his companion's fleeting form. He turned back to the young Trainer and felt the pull of the boy's aura. Yes, there was no arguing that this boy bore a connection to the Legendary Pokémon of Johto.

"Be careful, Gill," said Morty. "I fear that there are villains who will use you. I'm sure the Legendary Pokémon will protect you, but you must learn to protect yourself. The Darkness craves to extinguish the purest of Light."

"What does that mean?" Gill asked the Gym Leader. "What does all of it mean! I still don't understand why the Unown said I'm connected to Ho-Oh, Eusine seems to think the same thing too."

"You will learn someday," said the Gym Leader. "But I think…I think that you might be the Chosen Trainer that Ho-Oh has been searching for." The blond headed man sighed with the disappointment. He had always dreamed of being the one who Ho-Oh will deem worthy. Well, it seems that beggars could never be choosers. The least he could do was to ensure that the Chosen Trainer will make it through his journey. "When you are ready, come to my Gym. I will battle you so that you may earn your Fog Badge."

Gill calmed himself down as he nodded his head at the Gym Leader. He followed Morty up the staircase, taking cautious steps as they exited the Burned Tower together.

* * *

"What took you so long!" Lyra shouted as Gill approached them.

It was already nightfall when Gill reached the building that Lyra told him to meet up at. This was the theater of the famous Kimono Girls, the best entertainers in Ecruteak City, some even argued in all of the Johto Region. It was a show that Lyra's been dying to see for the longest time, Brendon was just along for the free entertainment.

Gill kept his adventure hidden from them both, saying that he just had a history lesson with the city's Gym Leader.

Lyra and Brendon both looked at him with wide eyes before entering the theater.


	14. Chapter 13

Author' Note: Well, here is another fantastic chapter just for all of you! Haha. I hope you guys enjoy the update. Read and review. P.S. those of you who may have read my X-Men Evolution fan fic, I started it up again so expect new updates for that one time to time!

**Chapter Thirteen:**

The Kimono Girls were famous for their musical talents as well as their prowess as Pokémon Trainers. Today though, the girls would be focusing more on performing for their adoring fans and guests at their special hall in Ecruteak City. Only two of the five Kimono Girls were present, and when Gill took his seat, he immediately recognized them. He remembered Violet City and his encounter with a girl dressed up in a kimono.

It couldn't be possible though, at least it shouldn't be.

Gill left to wonder if the girl he met at Violet City had anything to do with these Kimono Girls.

While the boy's thoughts began to wander, Lyra and Brendon were left dazzled by the performance of the Kimono Girls. The rest of the audience applauded the talented girls as they sang and dance before them. Their graceful movements were so enticing that they became trapped in a trance-like state. Gill turned away from the show to examine the dance hall that they were in.

The hall was decorated in a traditional, feudal manner much like the rest of the architecture of the city. The sliding, paper doors pulled up mystery as the Kimono Girls would disappear with only their silhouettes exposed. It was during this moment that Gill noticed some strange men in the crowd. He turned his eyes to the side where he saw three men dressed in all black, sitting at the front row with their jaws hanging.

At first, he would've thought them nothing but perverts. However, Gill's senses were screaming that something was wrong and those men needed to be watched. He decided to follow his instincts while searching his pocket for a Pokéball, just in case.

When the show finally came to a close, the dark haired girls bowed to their applauding audience. Lyra and Brendon stood to applaud alongside everyone else. Gill followed their lead and waited until they said it was time to leave. By then, half the audience had left the dance hall with the exception of the black, clothed men.

The men approached the stage where one of them grabbed onto a Kimono Girl. "Show us the good stuff, sweetie pie!" growled the repulsive man.

"Get your hands off of me!" shouted the girl. "Naoko, get away."

"No, Miki!" the girl was about to turn to run when the other two men blocked her path.

The remaining members of the audience were repulsed by the actions of these men. Gill was running back to the stage with Lyra and Brendon following suit. He was glad that he decided to listen to his instincts since they proved him right that something was about to go down.

"Leave them alone!" Gill shouted at the men.

"It's that runt!" shouted one of the men. "The kid we jumped at Ilex Forest."

Gill's eyes widened as he recognized the dark voices of the men. It was then that they tore off part of their clothes, revealing the Team Rocket uniform that they wore underneath. The Grunts of Team Rocket pushed the Kimono Girls off the stage before taking out their Pokéballs.

"We meet again, little boy," said the lead Grunt. "You won't escape us this time. Go, Raticate!"

The Grunts released the giant rats that were once contained.

"Bastards!" Gill shouted, his fist shaking as he tightened it up. These were the monsters that nearly tried to kill him. It was their fault that he nearly got sent home. It was their fault that he almost died. "I'll get you back! Go Golbat!"

"You're not alone!" shouted Lyra. "I'll teach you not to pick on my little brother! Go Girafarig!"

"Time to show them what we're made of!" shouted Brendon. "Go Sudowoodo!"

Light began to burst forth from their Pokéballs as six Pokémon appeared on the stage. The Grunts sent out a trio of Raticates to attack the young Trainers. Brendon released his newly caught Sudowoodo. Lyra released a yellow and black, Psychic-type Pokémon with pink spikes on his back and a strange mouth on his tail. Gill released the Golbat that he traded his Togetic for from Silver.

The Grunts bore no strategy at all as they tried to outdo the Trainers with a Hyper Fang. The Raticates attempted to use their large fangs to bite at the enemy Pokémon, but the Trainers were smarter than that. They easily got their Pokémon to dodge the attacks and they were ready to follow up with their own.

"Psybeam!" Lyra shouted.

Girafarig gathered a blast of psychic energy from the white horns on his head. The psychic energy began to turn purple before he finally decided it was time to release the attack. He took a step forward, swinging his head a little lower to fire his Psybeam at an enemy Raticate. All that was needed was one hit to knock the enemy out.

"Rock Throw!" Brendon shouted.

Sudowoodo raised his tree-like arms up into the air. Rocks began to appear from out of nowhere, circling around his head. Sudowoodo grabbed the few rocks that showed up and immediately tossed them at one of the other Raticates as well. Like Girafarig's attack, one hit was enough to knock the enemy out.

Gill had a heavy sigh escape his lips as he desired to teach these grunts a competition. He looked up to the Golbat flapping above him. "This might be our first battle together, but I trust you, Golbat, like I'm sure Silver did," he said to the Pokémon. He caught the uncertainty in the eyes of Golbat with a frown gracing the boy's lips. "I believe in you, Golbat! Use Wing Attack!"

Golbat flew over to the enemy Raticate with his wings beginning to glow. He swung his wing forward and smashed it in front of the enemy Raticate. They managed to win with a single, critical hit that knocked the enemy out.

The Grunts were easily defeated and beaten down by the Trainers before they could do anymore harm to anyone. During the battle, someone had called the police so by now the officers had finally arrived to take the Grunts away. The Grunts were grumbling about their defeat, while Gill brushed a tear away from his eyes.

Team Rocket was still running around out there, but now there were three less criminals out there in the world.

With the skirmish over, Gill was thanked by the Kimono Girls for the bold rescue. They also thanked his sister and her boyfriend for saving them as well. As a reward, the girls gave Gill a new HM that could teach a Pokémon the move Surf.

And with all the mess taken care of, they all left to rest at the Pokémon Center for the night.

Once they were gone, Miki and Naoko briefly spoke to one another.

"He has a heart of pure gold," said Naoko. "That other Trainer we met today bore a soul of pure silver."

"I have a strong feeling that they are the Chosen Trainers," said Miki. "They just might be the keys to awakening Ho-Oh and Lugia."

Naoko agreed as she and Miki retired for the night as well.

* * *

For the past two days, Gill spent his time training his Pokémon for the Gym Battle against Morty. Learning that the Gym Leader was a Ghost-type specialist meant that Gill was going to have to come up with a whole new battle strategy. Lyra and Gill informed him that his Normal-type Pokémon won't be able to hurt the Ghost-type Pokémon, but they can't be hurt by Ghost-type moves either. He was going to have to rely on every special attack that his Pokémon know in order to put any damage to them.

Gill had only faced on Ghost-type and that was Silver's Ghastly. That battle was far more difficult then he originally expected it to be. Had Togepi not known a Psychic-type move then he would've lost instantly. Now that Togetic was no longer part of his party, he lost the only Psychic-type attack he had on his team. And now he had to worry that Silver was taking care of her and not abusing her.

During the training, it was when he had Golbat battle against Pidgeotto that he learned that Golbat knew Bite. A smile crept up his face now that he knew that one of his Pokémon knew a Dark-type move. He would be able to use it to his advantage against Morty for their upcoming Gym Battle.

Lyra and Brendon watched as Gill had his own Pokémon battling one another. He was trying to develop an effective strategy to use the Gym Leader, which was a bright idea. Brendon decided to speed things up a little as he stood up and grabbed a Pokéball from his pocket.

"Hey, Gill!" shouted Brendon. "Let's battle, one-on-one. I want to see what you're made of."

"Sure," Gill said, nodding his head. He called at his Pokémon back, looking around to see who he'd use. He smiled when he looked upon his little Eevee. The Pokémon had fully recovered since his ordeal and had grown attached to the boy in almost no time. "Let's battle!"

"Go Spearow!" shouted Brendon.

A Bird Pokémon was freed from his confinement and spread his wings to fly. Gill sent Eevee out to battle against his opponent, wanting to see what Eevee was really capable of. Spearow was quick about using Peck at Eevee but the Evolution Pokémon was able to jump from harm's way. Gill quickly had him use Quick Attack to repel the Bird Pokémon away from him.

Spearow flew up into the air for safety where Gill and Eevee watched him as Gill caught a brief glimpse of the towers.

With the battle going on, Gill mindlessly gave out orders. His body shifted to auto-pilot as his thoughts began to drift back to what happened at the Burned Tower. The encounter he had with the Legendary Beasts that he kept secret from Lyra, Brendon, and everyone else. He couldn't afford for anyone to find out his connection to the Legendary Pokémon, he feared what his parents would do if they learned the truth.

"Fury Attack!" shouted Brendon.

Gill still thought about the tower. He felt frightened as Suicune gazed upon him with Entei and Raikou ready to attack him. His Pokémon defended him from the Legendary Beasts, but at what the cost? What kind of Pandora's Box did he unearth by awakening the Legendary Pokémon that was once asleep?

"Sand Attack!" Gill's mindlessly ordered.

Spearow was blinded by Eevee's attack, causing him to miss the attack.

Gill erased all those outsides thoughts and focused his mind back on the battle before him.

* * *

The next day, after beating Brendon, it was decided that Gill would go to the Gym to battle against Morty. Gill had his team fully healed and had decided just who he was going to use in the battle. Lyra and Brendon wished him luck before restocking some supplies they would need to make it to the next town.

Gill slowly made his way across town to the Ecruteak Gym. A soft smile spread across his face as he entered the Gym to battle the Leader. He pushed the door open and wandered into the gym to see nothing but an empty space of darkness. Gill felt every hair on his body stand on end as he looked around at the blackness that lurked before him.

"Welcome, Trainer." A ghostly light began to illuminate the Gym. A thin path opened up to Gill with a dark arena at the end. Gill quickly walked down the path until he saw the familiar face of the Ecruteak Gym Leader, Morty, standing at the center of the ring.

Morty had his arms crossed over his black shirt as the ancient referee emerged from behind him. The referee made his way to the edge, while Morty kept his intimidating stance in front of Gill. "It is good to see you again, Gill Hart," said Morty. "Your existence has provoked the ancient legends of the Johto Region, but I'm afraid that you will not be the Chosen Trainer who will summon Ho-Oh."

"With all of my training," said Morty, "I can see what others cannot. I see the shadow of the Trainer who has been chosen by Ho-Oh, and I believe that it is me! You cannot defeat me, Gill Hart!"

"Not a chance, Morty!" said Gill. "I'm going to win my next Gym Badge today!"

"Alright!" said the referee. "Four-on-four match, substitutions only allowed at the end of each round. Gill Hart of New Bark Town and the Morty, the Ecruteak Gym Leader, begin your battle now!"

Morty took out the Pokéball and threw it forward to release the Pokémon contained inside. "Go Ghastly!" shouted the Gym Leader.

Gill brushed his bangs aside as he took out his first Pokémon. He was hoping to snag an easy enough win so he was going to have to hit Morty with everything that he had. "Go Poliwag!" shouted the boy.

A flash of light escaped as two Pokémon appeared on the ring. Ghastly was floating in the air with Poliwag bouncing on his little feet. The two Pokémon made eye contact, glaring at one another the referee called for the battle to officially begin. Morty and Gill were vicious as they called out for their attacks.

"Night Shade!"

"Water Gun!"

Ghastly released a ghostly shadow from his body and sent a violet colored shadow after the Water-type. Poliwag took in a deep breath, firing a torrent of water from his mouth. The attacks collided against one another and erupted in a small explosion.

Poliwag quickly ran away just as Ghastly emerged through the smoke cloud. Ghastly tried to attack with another Night Shade, but Poliwag was able to avoid it before firing a few bubbles from his mouth. The attack snuck up on Ghastly and managed to do a bit of damage to him. Gill took advantage of this as he shouted at Poliwag to use Hypnosis next.

Morty tried to have Ghastly recover quickly enough, but it was too late. Poliwag used his hypnotic attack to put Ghastly into a deep sleep. With that taken care of, Gill issued for Poliwag to use Water Gun with all his strength. Poliwag gathered all the water from within him before spewing it back out at Ghastly, taking the Ghost Pokémon down.

A grunt escaped Morty as he recalled his first Pokémon. It wouldn't be that easy for Gill, the Gym Leader swore that to himself as he called for his next ghost. "Haunter, go for it!" shouted the Gym Leader. He flung the Pokéball out to release the next Pokémon.

"Poliwag, return!" Gill said, taking advantage of his substitution. "Quilava, I choose you!"

Morty's Ghost Pokémon was a purple figure that was a large head with floating hands. Haunter was only slightly terrifying, but Gill and his Quilava weren't frightened enough. They were all ready to fight just as the referee told them to resume battling.

Morty called for Haunter to use Night Shade. Gill was already expecting this so he told Quilava to use Flame Wheel to give him a speed and height advantage. Quilava spun himself into a wheel of fire and rolled after Haunter just as the Ghost Pokémon fired his attack. A violet shadow escaped the ghost and attempted to rip Quilava apart as he propelled himself at the ghost. The attack collided together, but Quilava managed to keep himself going onward.

Quilava smashed his fiery body into Haunter, using the full extent of the fire to leave behind a burn. Morty wasn't pleased by that so he decided to take advantage of the situation. He called for Haunter to use Curse against Quilava. Haunter grabbed onto Quilava, placing a curse upon them both. Haunter sacrificed half of his health in order to lay a permanent, health siphoning attack on Quilava.

Already, Quilava's health was slowly being sapped away from him. Haunter laughed alongside the Gym Leader as they attacked with another Night Shade. Quilava was sent flying back upon the impact, but he still refused to give up. Gill felt the power pumping in his Pokémon's flames so he wasn't about to give up either. The fire was burning inside of them and they let that fire spread.

Quilava tapped into his special ability, using Blaze to power up his fire. Quilava rushed after Haunter once more, but jumped back to fire the strongest Ember he could muster up. The fiery sparks crashed into Haunter, not showing any mercy to the opponent. The burns that Haunter already suffered grew stronger until Haunter was no longer able to battle. Haunter came crashing down. Quilava landed on the ground as well, but the Curse made its mark. Quilava collapsed as well, no longer to battle as well.

"Return!" shouted the Trainer and Gym Leader.

"Gym Leader Morty, you only have two Pokémon left to battle with," said the referee. "Trainer Gill Hart, you have three Pokémon left. Choose wisely."

Morty brought his fists together with a calming sigh escaping from his lips. He took another Pokéball out and held it up to his face. "You are a worthy opponent, Gill," said Morty. "I won't allow you to defeat me though. Ho-Oh is my destiny! It is my heart that has been chosen."

"I don't care about Ho-Oh," Gill said, taking out his next Pokéball. "I only want to win. I just want to become the next Champion!"

"Dream big, Gill," said Morty. "If you can defeat me then you'll be one step closer to becoming Champion. Now, Haunter, crush his dreams!"

"Dratini, I need your help, girl!" shouted Gill.

The next round began immediately.

Haunter wasted no time in using Hypnosis against Dratini. She managed to dodge the first onslaught of hypnotic attacks, but Haunter pulled off a next sleeping spell without a hitch. Dratini fell face first to the ground as she entered a deep sleep. Gill tried to shout as his Pokémon to wake up, but she wasn't responding much. Morty took advantage of this and had Haunter use Dream Eater.

Dream Eater consisted of Haunter floating over the sleeping Dratini and he sucked away at the energy that Dratini had. Slowly, her health began to escape her until finally Dratini was able to snap out of it. Gill quickly yelled at her to use Thunder Wave while they had the advantage. Dratini picked her head up, firing a few sparks from her ears to hit Haunter with a paralyzing attack.

Gill was taking advantage of every status effect he could use. Fighting Ghost-type Pokémon was a pain in the ass in itself, so he had to fight them somehow. Half his moves would be ineffective so he needed to rely on status effect to turn the battle in his favor. Paralyzing the enemy Haunter and burning the previous Haunter were just two of the tricks he had up his sleeve.

It was now time to take advantage of the best move he could use. It wasn't super effective against Ghost-types but it was powerful enough to do some serious damage. Gill could only hope that the move would be enough to knock Haunter out. So it was time to pull out all of the stops. He had to use the move that Lyra helped him to perfect.

"Dratini, use Dragon Rage!" shouted Gill.

The tiny orb on Dratini's head began to glow as she gathered all of her power. Even Morty's eyes widened with horror as he realized what was about to happen. Haunter tried to float away but the paralysis left him frozen still, unable to escape the coming attack.

Dratini created an orb of fire from the front of her mouth. She released the attack and blasted it in front of the Haunter. The full power of the attack crashed into Haunter and was enough to take down all the health that the ghost had left. Haunter went crashing down, instantly knocked out as Dratini took in heavy, exhausted breaths.

Morty only had one Pokémon left, but Gill knew that Gym Leaders always saved their strongest Pokémon for last.

"It's not over yet!" said Morty. "I still believe that I can win. Finish this, Gengar!"

Gill returned his exhausted Dratini to switch her in for Poliwag. He knew that Poliwag and Dratini were probably too exhausted to win this match, but he still had his trump card. He was sure he could hit the frightening, large purple ghost enough to get himself a win.

The giant ghost stomped his foot on the ground, making Poliwag gasp from fear. Gill gulped as he tried to end this quick by putting Gengar to sleep. However, Morty had Gengar attack far quicker then Poliwag could attack. Morty shouted for Gengar to use a move called Sucker Punch.

Gengar disappeared in a ghostly wisp before reappearing behind Poliwag. In the blink of the eye, Gengar smashed his dark fists against Poliwag and knocked him out with a single hit. Gill gasped with horror as he recalled his unconscious Pokémon then quickly scanned Gengar.

"A fully evolved Pokémon!" Gill said, his voice quivering with terror.

"Yes," Morty said, arms crossed over his chest. "Gengar is the fully evolved form of Ghastly. Gengar is far more powerful than most of the fully evolved Pokémon then you've encountered at this point. It will not be easy for you to win this one. And don't even bother with status effects, Gengar is trained to fight past all of them."

"We'll see about that!" Gill said, holding up a Pokéball. "Dratini, use Thunder Wave!"

"Fool," Morty whispered.

Dratini was released from her Pokéball and quickly released a few sparks from her body. Thunder Wave hit its mark, but it was just like Morty had warned Gill. The ghost withstood the attack and shrugged it off like it was nothing. Gill gasped in shock, while Dratini looked frightened by the powerful ghost.

"Shadow Ball!" shouted Morty.

Gengar gathered a ball of dark, ghostly energy in the palm of his hands. He then flung it after Dratini, who barely managed to get out of the way before the ghostly energy could defeat her. Gill responded quickly by calling out for another Dragon Rage. The blast of draconic energy escaped Dratini and hit Gengar, but it wasn't powerful enough to win the battle.

Gengar barely suffered any damage before Morty called for another Shadow Ball. This attack was quicker than the previous and Gengar flung the attack after Dratini. Before either Dratini or her Trainer could respond, the attack made its mark and defeated the exhausted Dratini with a single blow.

"Now you're just down to one Pokémon," laughed Morty. "Chose wisely, Gill. I want to enjoy our final battle."

"This isn't over yet, Morty!" shouted Gill. "Don't celebrate your victory just yet. I'll beat you with Golbat!"

Gill's final Pokémon emerged from the Pokéball. The large bat flapped his wings around as he hovered above the enemy Gengar. The ghost was smirking devilishly, which made Gill and his new Pokémon nervous. Gill knew he was going to have to go all out to snag another win.

Gengar tried to attack with Sucker Punch once more, but Golbat flew higher into the air. Gill had Golbat use Supersonic with hopes of confusing the Gym Leader's Pokémon. The sound waves briefly disoriented the ghost Pokémon, which was good enough for Gill. He shouted at Golbat to use Bite, which he did quickly.

Golbat sank his fangs into Gengar and did a good amount of damage against the ghost. It wasn't enough to win, but it weakened him enough to give Gill a shot. Gengar recovered quickly enough though and smashed Golbat in the face with a Sucker Punch. The attack did a solid amount of damage, but Gill saw another opening thanks to Gengar exposing his vulnerability.

"BITE!" Gill shouted with all his might.

Golbat flew back, recovering from the last attack. With Gengar's arm still stretched out, the bat sank his fangs into the ghost once more. The attack left its mark and succeeded in shocking the ghost and the Gym Leader. The spark left Gengar's eye as he floated down to the ground, crashing now that he was unconscious.

"The battle is over!" said the referee. "Gym Leader Morty has been defeated! Trainer Gill Hart has won!"

"Yes!" Gill cheered as he threw his fists into the air. Golbat came flying back and quickly found himself being hugged by the boy. The Pokémon was initially shocked by the display of affection since Silver never showed him any. Golbat succumbed to the hug though and wrapped his own wings around Gill.

Morty recalled his unconscious Gengar with a smile draping his face. He slowly made his approach to the victorious boy. "It appears that I may have been wrong about the Chosen Trainer," said Morty. "The haze is clearing, I can see that it is you, Gill Hart, who will call Ho-Oh back to our world. You have defeated me in battle and won my respect. I present this Fog Badge to you."

The Gym Leader surrendered the Gym Badge to the Trainer. Gill smiled as he took the wispy, ghost shaped Badge. He held it up so that Golbat could see it, so that they could both marvel at the Gym Badge that they wore together.

Morty handed over a TM as well that contained the move Shadow Ball. It was a gift from Gym Leader to Trainer.

"Congratulations, Gill," Morty said to the Trainer. "Now, there are two paths open to you. You can either go west to Olivine City or east to Mahogany Town. If I were you, I'd go towards Olivine City. Before you challenge the Olivine Gym Leader, I recommend travelling across the ocean to battle the Cianwood Island Gym Leader."

"Thank you for the directions, Morty," Gill said, laughing. "It was a pleasure battling you."

"The pleasure was all mine," said Morty. "I have learned much from you. I hope to battle you again someday."

Morty said goodbye to Gill as he left to the Pokémon Center to reunite with his sister and friend.

* * *

With the Fog Badge in hand, the journey could continue onward. Gill, Lyra, and Brendon stood at the exit to Ecruteak City. Gill bore a smile on his face as he started walking forward with Lyra and Brendon following behind him.

"Let's keep going!" Gill cheered, feeling revitalized as he ran passed the gate.

"Gill, wait!" Lyra shouted, chasing after him.

"Don't leave me!" Brendon said, running to catch up with the both of them.

The trio made their way down Route 38 next.


	15. Chapter 14

Author's Note: Woo...I am exhausted! I hope you all like this chapter because if you don't...well, you don't want to know what will happen to you. Haha. Read and review.

**Chapter Fourteen:**

Route 38 was fairly uneventful for the most part. The trio traveled along the road, seeing Pokémon and people just running around. Gill felt fairly bored as he followed Lyra and Brendon's lead. He was still busy thinking about his victory over Morty at the Ecruteak Gym earlier that day.

Gill was so lost in his head that he bumped into Brendon who had stopped due to a small roadblock. The young Trainer nearly yelled at his elder when he noticed that a girl was blocking their path from Route 39. She looked around Lyra's age, dressed in black, school clothes with her hair brushed partly to the side. A Pokéball was in her hands, which could only mean one thing…she wanted to battle.

"I challenge you to a Pokémon battle, little girl!" shouted their roadblock.

"Excuse me," Lyra said, snapping back with a bit of an attitude. She didn't like dealing with someone so disrespectful. She was going to bite back at this little girl to teach her a lesson. "I don't know who you think you are, little bitch, but I wouldn't be so rude if I were you. The name is Lyra, I'd remember it if I were you because I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"And I'm Dana, let's battle now!" shouted the girl. "Flaaffy, show her who's the boss!"

Lyra only shook her head as she took out a Pokéball of her own. "Phanpy, I choose you!" she shouted back. She tossed her Pokéball to release the Pokémon contained within it. A small, blue creature emerged with a long nose for such a small Pokémon.

Brendon and Gill kept their distance as they watched the girls randomly go at it.

Flaaffy was a small, Electric-type Pokémon that had her tail sparking with electricity. She quickly fired off a Thundershock which Phanpy took head-on. However, Phanpy wasn't injured at all by the attack due to the fact that he was a Ground-type. He easily neutralized the electricity struck back with a Rollout.

Spinning around in a circle, Phanpy rolled over to Flaaffy until he crashed into her. Flaaffy cried out in pain as she was pushed across the grassy field. Dana cried with sympathy for her Pokémon, but Flaaffy managed to stay standing after the critical hit. Flaaffy tried to get Phanpy back by using a Rock Smash, causing her fist to glow with energy.

Phanpy rotated out of the way before the attack could make contact though. The minute that Flaaffy displayed her vulnerability, Phanpy doubled back to attack. He crashed into Flaaffy once more, this time with a far stronger impact. Flaaffy couldn't stick around after the second hit and quickly found herself found herself in an unconscious state.

Dana shouted her frustration as she recalled her defeated Pokémon, while Lyra simply huffed at the arrogant girl.

"Next time, I recommend that you don't be so rude," said Lyra. She briefly ran her hand through her hair before returning Phanpy to his Pokéball. "You never know just who you're battling by appearances alone. The name is Lyra Hart, the daughter of the Johto Champion."

Stars practically appeared in Dana's eyes when she heard Lyra so openly declare herself the Champion's daughter. Gill rolled his eyes and Brendon just sighed at his girlfriend. They continued to stay out of it as Dana begged for forgiveness from the Champion's daughter.

Being the humble girl that she was, Lyra forgave the "peasant" as she called Dana.

"I'm sorry about being so rude earlier," Dana said, once more. "I've just been kinda cranky lately and thought I should take it out on somebody." She went through her pocket to retrieve something from there. Lyra half-expected Dana to pull out a weapon to use against them, but was surprised to see the green stone in her hand. "Take this as a gift! It's a Thunderstone, it can make certain Pokémon evolve."

"Thanks," Lyra said, accepting the gift as Dana took off towards Ecruteak City.

Gill crossed his arms over his chest and purposely bumped into his sister. "We done here?" he asked, a little rudely. "We need to get to Olivine City to catch the boat to Cianwood."

Lyra bumped her brother back before tossing the Thunderstone at him. He barely caught it on time when she locked her arm around Brendon's. "You'll need that more than I do, bitch boy," she told him. "You can use it on your Eevee to evolve him into a Jolteon or any other Electric Pokémon that you might capture in the future."

Gill actually thanked his sister before chasing after her and Brendon who took off while he was still looking at the sparkling stone.

They resumed their travels, walking through Route 39 next before finally getting close enough to see the outline of Olivine City.

* * *

The port city was beautiful as the evening sun set against the mighty ocean.

Olivine City's northern district was full of the homes of the families and the sailors. The Trainers entered the town from its gate and looked around as the usual townsfolk and the tourists navigated throughout the city. They wandered deeper into the town, in the direction of the Pokémon Center when Gill caught sight of the Olivine City Gym.

A smile crept up his face as he looked at the Gym, knowing that he would battle the Gym Leader there in a matter of time. First though, he needed to challenge the Cianwood Island Gym Leader to prepare for the Olivine City Gym Leader. He was so anxious that he failed to notice that a familiar face was emerging from the Gym with his eyes set on Gill.

The boy finally snapped out of his daze to see that it was Silver that was coming towards him. Lyra and Brendon watched the stranger, taking notice to the hopeful longing that appeared in his hazel colored eyes. Brendon looked over at Lyra who only shrugged her shoulders with confusion since she didn't know exactly who he was either.

Silver simply crossed his arms against his chest once he was close enough to Gill. His cold gray eyes locked onto Gill's form when he saw the duo that was accompanying him. "You'll want to skip this town too," said the red headed Trainer. "The Gym Leader is at the Glitter Lighthouse taking care of some sick Pokémon. I don't know why she bothers though. If the Pokémon is too sick, she might as well let it die so it can have some dignity. If a Pokémon can't stand on its own then it doesn't deserve to live."

"You're a jerk," said Brendon. He stepped away from Lyra, jumping a little bit in front of Gill. He glared at Silver who just stared back at him. "How could you even think of doing that to a Pokémon? They are our friends, not our tools. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Fuck off, fool," shouted Silver. "Just because you're too blind to see the truth doesn't mean I have to be a stupid idealist like you. I know what Pokémon are, they are here to serve us. Only weaklings start spouting off about love and friendship."

Brendon was going to jump on Silver some more, but Gill stopped his sister's boyfriend from doing so. He pushed Brendon away from Silver by keeping his own body between them. "Enough, the both of you," said Gill. He turned back around to look at Silver, drawing himself a little closer towards his rival Trainer. "Thanks for the head's up, Silver. I guess I'll see you in Cianwood then."

"I'm heading to Mahogany Town," said Silver. "Later, kid." The red head was just beginning to walk away from them when he paused for a moment. Gill watched Silver's move until he finally saw the red head turn his head to the side a little. "You're Togetic is doing fine. She's a little annoying, but she's actually useful for a battle."

The smile widened on Gill as he locked his hands behind his back. "I trust that you'll take good care of her, Silver," he said, calmly. "You're Golbat is doing well too. He helped me win the badge at the Ecruteak Gym."

Silver didn't say anything, he just resumed walking out of town until he was out of their line of sight.

Gill turned back around to face the others where he saw the curious looks on their faces. He was about to ask what when Lyra opened her big mouth to say something.

"You like him!" she practically shouted. "You like that asshole. Wait a minute, is that the dude who saved you from Team Rocket?"

Gill sighed as he walked away from his sister, but she was persistent and wouldn't stop until Gill told her the truth. She had Brendon grab onto him and force the answers from him despite all the kicking and screaming he was doing. Gill finally gave in, telling his sister that he was the famous Silver who rescued him.

He even confessed an attraction to him.

Satisfied, Lyra just patted her brother on the head then started walking towards the lighthouse with Brendon apologizing to him. Brendon ran after his girlfriend, while Gill sighed and turned back to where to the gate that Silver had left town in. He brushed his black bangs aside before he finally chased after Lyra and Brendon.

Unaware of the gray eyes that watched him, Silver decided to follow Gill around just for a bit longer.

* * *

Glitter Lighthouse was a tall building that stood at the edge of the port where the boats were all docked. Gill and his travel companions looked up to see just high how the building went, which was possibly six floors high. It wasn't overly big since there were bigger buildings in Goldenrod City, but it was still fairly impressed.

Where the light was supposed to be glowing strong, only a faint light could be seen.

Brendon had to squint his eyes just to see the light clearly. It saddened him to see that and made him worry just how sick the Pokémon of the lighthouse was. "This isn't good," said the Trainer. "A lighthouse should have a much stronger light then this. How else are sailors supposed to see it?'

"Let's see what we can do to help," Lyra said, leading the way.

The trio of Trainers entered the empty lighthouse to a see an elevator and a staircase in the middle of the first floor. Gill was about to head to the elevator when he noticed an out or order sign hanging on the front of it. Of course it couldn't be that easy for them. He gave out a heavy sigh as he turned back around and started walking towards the stairs.

Lyra and Brendon were right behind him, ascending the staircase with them. They made it to the second floor when a spray of bubbles rushed right passed them. The trio gave out a startled scream when they saw that they had been attacked by a Pokémon. Gill quickly scanned it with his Pokédex to see that it was a Poliwhirl, the evolved form of Poliwag.

A sailor stepped out from behind a pillar, which the trio assumed to be Poliwhirl's Trainer. This burley, young man had his arms to the side with his large chest puffed out. "You will not harm our sick Amphy!" shouted the Sailor. "Poliwhirl, use Water Gun to punish these kids!"

"Poliwhirl!" shouted the Pokémon as he fired a torrent of water from his mouth.

Gill responded quicker than the others as he tossed his Pokéball forward to release the Pokémon inside of it. His Poliwag sprang up with joy and was soon ordered by his Trainer to use Water Gun. The Water-type nodded his head before spraying his own blast of water at the incoming attack. The two Water Guns collided against one another with Poliwag succeeding in neutralizing the enemy attack.

Poliwag bounced on his feet with joy before a glow started to overpower him. The glow began to change his shape until the light faded away, revealing that Poliwag had finally evolved into a Poliwhirl. Gill's new Poliwhirl threw his fists up into the air as he bounced around with joy before glaring at the enemy Poliwhirl.

"Awesome!" cheered Gill. "Alright Poliwhirl, let's end this quickly! Doubleslap!"

Gill's Poliwhirl nodded his head and immediately sprang to action. He swung his gloved hands back and forth, smacking the sailor's Poliwhirl repeatedly. After about the fifth hit, the enemy Poliwhirl gave up and fell to the ground in surrender. The sailor dropped to his knee as he recalled his defeated Pokémon.

Gill ran towards the sailor and patted the man on the shoulder. "We're not here to hurt anyone," the boy said, smiling at him. "We're here to help! I needed to speak with the Gym Leader anyways, she is still here right?"

The sailor nodded his head as he saw the sincerity in the boy's voice. "Jasmine is still here, she's on the top floor with Amphy," said the sailor. "Prepare to fight the rest of my friends though. They won't listen to you until they're defeated so be careful."

"We will," Gill told him. "Onto the next floor then."

Lyra and Brendon followed Gill and Poliwhirl's lead as they went up to the third floor.

The third floor was completely empty, but the Trainers were cautious though as they approached the next set of stairs. They made it to the fourth floor without any trouble as well, which made them wonder if the sailor's friends had given up already. They didn't behave recklessly though as they approached the stairs to the fifth floor.

The stairs to the sixth floor were guarded by a set of sailors. These men were bigger and looked tougher than their friend that Gill had defeated earlier. A gulp journeyed down their throats as they stared the muscular sailors, who Gill and Lyra thought were a little hunky but still intimidating. Brendon was still frightened by them, but he didn't let his fear overpower him at all.

Without giving them the time to explain themselves, the sailors immediately jumped to action against the Trainers. They both flung their Pokéballs out to release a Krabby and a Machop. Gill scanned them both to identify Krabby as a Water-type and Machop as a Fighting-type. The boy was about to do something about the sailors when Brendon and Lyra got in the way.

"You're not the only one capable of battling," said Brendon. "Go Fearow!"

"Let us have a little fun," said Lyra. "Gloom, it's time to dance!"

Gill's eyes widened with surprise as he saw that Brendon's little Spearow had involved into a Fearow. The same reaction was held for Lyra's Oddish who evolved as well. He asked when that happened only to learn that Brendon and Lyra had been doing a little training while he battled Morty. They said that they needed to keep up with his growing team of Pokémon if they were going to keep him safe.

The sailors wasted on time in springing their attacks for this double battle. Brendon and Lyra were ready to fight on the defensive though as they ordered their Pokémon to dodge the attacks.

Fearow flapped his giant wings as he flew up to the ceiling before coming back down to use a vicious Peck attack against Machop. The little Fighting-type tried to counter with a Karate Chop but before he could strike Fearow's head, the beak of the Flying Pokémon scratched against his chest to leave its mark. Fearow easily defeated Machop with a single hit, which was no surprise at all to Brendon.

Meanwhile, Krabby was spewing Water Gun and Bubblebeam after Gloom in hopes of beating the Grass-type. Lyra wasn't concerned at all as she yawned with boredom as she took the sailor head on. Gloom jumped into the air to release a spray of paralyzing spray called Stun Spore. She released the spray from the blooming flower on her head. The attack left Krabby stunned and unable to move, which Lyra had her Gloom take advantage of by using Mega Drain. Gloom's body began to glow as she absorbed the health from the Krabby, easily defeating him as well.

The sailors were beaten and once more Gill explained that they were only here to help. They recalled their Pokémon and parted ways so that the trio could climb up to the sixth floor.

Finally reaching the top of the lighthouse, Gill and his companions entered a spacious room that was surrounded by windows. The pink room looked relaxing with even a bed for the guests or maybe even the Pokémon that illuminated the lighthouse. Gill saw a young woman sitting beside a large, yellow Pokémon who did look seriously ill. The boy scanned the Pokémon to learn that it was an Ampharos, the fully evolved form of Mareep.

"The poor thing," Lyra said, immediately going over to the Pokémon's side. "How bad is he?"

The young woman looked away from the sick Ampharos, surprised to see the others there. She initially looked frightened by them, but she managed to regain a steel-like composure as she faced them all. "Amphy is very ill, she needs special medicine to make her well," said the young woman. She was pretty with long, brown hair and wore a light green dress that had an orange bow on the front. "I can't make it to Cianwood City though, not without risking Amphy's health."

"You're the Gym Leader, correct?" asked Brendon.

"Yes, I am Jasmine," she told them. "I'm afraid I can't battle though until I am certain that Amphy's health is restored."

Gill nodded his head as he knelt down beside the Gym Leader. "Well, we could go to Cianwood City," said the boy. "I needed to go there anyways for a Gym Battle."

Jasmine began to smile as she turned away to get something from the small desk in the corner. She came back with an envelope, which she handed over to Gill. "The medicine I need is in the care of a man named Chuck," said Jasmine. "He also happens to be the Gym Leader of Cianwood. This letter should make him aware of the situation, you'll probably need to battle him before you can get the medicine though. Go down to the docks and take the boat, S.S. Whirl. Tell the sailors there that I sent you so that they'll give you a free pass."

"Alright," Gill said. He got back on his feet, looking over to Lyra and Brendon who weren't moving to join him. "Come on, guys. We need to hurry."

"We're staying here, Gill," said Lyra. "Brendon and I are okay with Pokémon first-aid. We can help Amphy out, while you go to Cianwood."

Gill finally just had to nod his head and agree with his sister. He grabbed his bag, putting the letter that Jasmine gave him in the pocket of his coat. Jasmine unlocked the elevator so he could take it down to the first floor. Hopefully, it would give him enough time to make it to the dock before the last boat leaves at nightfall.

* * *

Running as fast as he could, Gill made it to the dock just in time as the last boat was getting filling up with the last of its passengers. Gill flashed the letter he received from Jasmine to the boat's captain in order to receive a free ride to Cianwood City. The captain even managed to get Gill his own room for the day-long voyage across the ocean.

Not long after he arrived, the boat took off for Cianwood City as the sun slowly began to set. Gill leaned against the railing at the front of the deck and stared out to the sunset as the boat slowly road the tides. He ran his hand through his black hair with a smile gracing his lips as he took in the salty air of the ocean into the depths of his lungs. He felt so good and was bouncing around with excitement as he made journey across the ocean on his own, just how he intended to begin his journey through the Johto region.

In order to reach Cianwood City, Gill had to Route 40 and 41needed to be crossed first to reach his destination. The boat would take him across the ocean, saving him the trouble of having to teach Poliwhirl to use Surf to journey across the water. Plus, he heard the whirlpools around the Whirl Islands were vicious and relentless if you get to close.

Gill gave out a soft sigh as he turned around to see a crowd gathering on the deck. He was curious to see why so many people were there when he noticed a tall, blue haired man standing at the center of the attention. Girls were screaming, others were begging for autographs, and the Trainers, mostly guys, were challenging the man to a Pokémon battle.

The man was extraordinarily beautiful that Gill felt mesmerized by his flawless appearance. He had a white hat to cover most of his blue hair with a matching cape covering his body. Gill was about to think this guy was a cheap magician when the man tossed the cape back to reveal his colorful suit. The suit was a mixture of blue, green, white, and purple that was cut apart into layers from the looks of it.

It took but a minute for Gill to recognize just who this man was.

"I want to have your baby!" screamed a rabid fan.

He simply laughed at his crazed fan and the others as he tried to pluck himself away. "Please, I will gladly fill out your autographs tomorrow when we make dock," said the young man. "I would like to rest and enjoy myself in your beautiful region."

The crazed crowd died out and began to part ways, leaving the man to himself.

A heavy breath escaped the man's body before he turned around. His green eyes widened with surprise when he saw Gill standing by the railing, neither one looking away. Finally, the young man said something as he began to approach the young Trainer. "You look awfully familiar," said the elder. "Do I happen to know you from somewhere?"

"You're Wallace, the Champion of the Hoenn Elite Four," Gill said, realizing just who was speaking to him. "You've probably met my father. He's Victor Hart, the Champion of the Johto Elite Four. I'm Gill."

"That would be me." The Champion smiled as he looked at the young Gill. He nodded his head, remembering his encounter with Victor Hart a year ago. "A good man, your father is," said Wallace. He looked over the railing that Gill was still leaning against, the smile still on his face. "I'm assuming that you are on your own Pokémon Journey. Tell me how that is going for you, Gill?"

"It's going pretty well," Gill said, fishing out his case. He popped it open to reveal the four Gym Badges that he already had. "It's only been fourth months, but I'm already halfway to being ready to challenge the Johto Elite Four. I'm going to Cianwood City to challenge the Gym Leader there and to get some special medicine for the sick lighthouse keeper in Olivine City."

"Oh dear," Wallace said, his concerned focused on the Pokémon. "The poor thing. The Pokémon's health is that critical, is it?"

"Jasmine, the Gym Leader, told me that it wasn't good," said Gill. "She sent me to get the medicine so she could continue tending to the sick Pokémon."

Wallace nodded his head once more, reading the boy's aura very carefully. He could sense something so pure and positive radiating from the boy that it made the Champion wonder about him. "You know, I've spent my entire life around Pokémon and legends," said the Champion. "The city I grew up in had a legend of a trio of Pokémon who could control the weather. I've seen a great deal of things, Gill, and I can tell that somehow the legends of the Pokémon World have drawn you into them."

"You're not the first person to tell me that," Gill said, hiding his sarcasm with laughter.

The Champion laughed as well before placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I can see that you have a pure heart," said Wallace. "I've never had the pleasure of meeting someone as pure as you are. Do me a favor, Gill, hold onto that purity in your heart for as long as you can. Don't allow anyone to taint it."

Gill had no idea what the Champion met, but he promised Wallace that he would. The Champion smiled at Gill once more before saying farewell so that he may retire in his cabin. Gill said goodbye to the Hoenn Champion, watching the graceful movements of the Water Pokémon Master as he disappeared into the setting sun.

* * *

The ride across the ocean was a peaceful one for Gill.

He found himself on the deck once more after he had a massive dinner at the dining area. His stomach was hurting from everything he ate so he tried to walk it off to make some of the pain go away. That helped a lot, plus the trip to the bathroom made the cramps not so painful.

Gill stared out to the massive ocean where he saw the outline of some strange looking places in the distance. There looked like there was four of these strange objects, he wondered if they were caves or possible buildings or something. He wondered what they were, but a group of sailors walked on the deck and pointed out what Gill saw.

"The Whirl Islands," said a sailor. "It's the home of the legendary Beast of the Sea."

"You don't believe in that old legend, do you?" said another sailor. "There is no beast, only wild Pokémon."

"The Beast is a wild Pokémon," claimed the sailor. "I grew up around Ecruteak City. The Legendary Pokémon that once resided in the Brass Tower felled to the Whirl Islands to live in the ocean. It is supposed to be responsible for the whirlpools that surround the islands. There are even Trainers who claim to have been saved by such a large beast when they are pulled in too close to the whirlpools."

"They were probably drunk," said the sailor.

Their conversation ended after all of that babble, making Gill wonder about what just happened. He stared out towards the Whirl Islands and wondered if such a Pokémon could exist. He vaguely remembered Morty mentioning something about the Pokémon that escaped to Whirl Islands, while another stayed high in the sky.

Gill just shook his head, deciding not to get involved with any legends today. He just wanted to get some sleep before he landed in Cianwood that morning. He began to walk towards his cabin, looking around for his room number as he mindlessly mumbled the number out loud.

It was a bad move to say his room number out like that.

When the young Trainer finally found his door, he felt grabbed onto him and push him inside the just unlocked room. Panic was running all over Gill's body just as the door was slammed shut and locked. The dark room wasn't helping much until he took in the stranger's scent and felt a familiar breath against his skin. A finger traced across his pouty lips, making the boy shiver from the contact of the stranger.

"Silver," Gill whispered, breathless.

Gill had his backpack stripped from him before he was pushed onto the bed and pinned down by someone heavier than him. The boy's heart was pounding hard against his chest as lips found their way to his neck. A soft cry escaped the boy's lips as he tried to thrust his body upward because of the sensations. His hand slammed onto the nightstand, finally reaching the light switch so he could see Silver clearly.

The weak light illuminated the bed, showing Gill that it really was Silver who was ravishing him. Gill knew that Silver was damn near stalking him at this point, which should've frightened him horribly. Gill couldn't breathe though as Silver quickly wasted no time in unzipping his jacket followed by tarring off that the boy wore. His chest was bare now, exposed to Silver's lustful, gray eyes. Gill tried to pull his legs up, but Silver grabbed him by the legs and pulled him back towards him.

Silver had Gill's legs spread apart as he leaned forward on the boy. His lips, tongue, and teeth quickly got to work on teasing the boy's neck. Gill was crying out with heated pleasure. He tried to grab onto Silver, but the red head held onto the boy's wrists to keep them above his head. Silver went back to Gill's lips, sucking on the bottom one to make Gill mumbled even more uncontrollably.

"Silver!" Gill cried.

The red head smirked as the boy cried his name with pleasure. He easily lifted Gill up ad placed him on his lap. He kissed the collar bone with his hands holding his waist. Gill had his arms wrapped around Silver's neck now, trying to pull him closer towards his flushing skin. The boy was tugging at the red head's shirt, but Silver wasn't just willing to give in yet.

Gill found himself on his back now with Silver unzipping his pants. Gill clung onto the sheets as his pants were pulled away from him, extremely nervous about how things were going. So much about preserving his innocence like the Champion had asked him too.

Left only in his white briefs, Silver stared at the nearly nude boy. His eyes and body were burning to take Gill fully as his, but not even today was the day for that. He only gave into the boy's wishes a little, removing his shirt to expose the muscles underneath. Were Gill was still skinny with a developing body; Silver was developed with strong, lean muscle hidden by his clothes.

Silver leaned in towards Gill with his lips meeting the boy's, gently.

"What are you doing here?" Gill asked.

The red head ghosted over the boy, letting his soft breath touch the panting boy. He placed one more kiss on the boy's cheek and ran his fingers through the black hair. "You need to remember who you belong to," whispered Silver. "I know you want me, Gill. I've been just dying to make you mine."

"I'm not your property," Gill said, feeling a bit of anger boiling inside of him.

"Maybe not," said Silver, "but you are still mine." He pulled down the boy's briefs, revealing the straining erection that had been begging to be released. Gill blushed as Silver looked down at the boy's small erection and the bit of dark hair barely growing around it. A smirk grazed Silver's face as he placed the boy's hand over the front of his pants. Gill gasped as he felt Silver's larger erection once more. "You want me, Gill, just as badly as I want you."

The elder boy motioned Gill's hand to the zipper. Gill blushed as Silver guided him in pulling it down a little. Gill took off the button as well and Silver began to pull his pants down to his knees, revealing his red boxers that were barley covering his erection. Gill felt his skin growing hotter as Silver stripped off the last of their clothing in the blink of the eye.

Gill felt embarrassed to see Silver completely naked while the older boy saw him too. He covered his privates, feeling really foolish as his eyes locked onto Silver's long penis that was surrounded with red curls. There was even a slight happy trail that led from his privates to just underneath his belly button. Gill didn't realize he licked his lips until after the fact, which made him feel pretty stupid.

Silver didn't seem to mind as he laid his naked body over Gill. He kept their erections pressed together with their skin locked onto each other. Silver rubbed their bodies against each other, his eyes locked onto those innocent, hazel eyes that made him feel such foreign things. He felt his guard, foolishly, going down as he leaned in to claim the boy's lips once more.

Having Silver this close to him, this exposed, made Gill's nerves explode with passion. He instinctively pulled his legs apart to have Silver so much closer to him. Silver hid a laugh at how easily he had Gill submitting to him, but it wasn't time for that yet. He had Gill's legs wrapped around his waist and continued to rub their lengths together until Gill couldn't last a second longer.

Gill's entire body tightened up as he cried Silver's name out a little too loud. The minute his lover's name escaped him, Gill came with an explosion. He drenched both of their lengths and chests with it. Gill couldn't stop panting as relaxed from his climax, but continued to cling onto Silver for support.

That was enough to send Silver over the edge as well. Having Gill so close, his cum as lube, and the boy's breath against his skin soon proved to be too much for him. The red head closed his eyes and gave out a heavy breath as he released his seed between them both as well. He drenched them both in it as days of want and desire covered them both.

They both collapsed onto the bed, surrendering to the rapture of their sexual bliss with the sound of the waves rocking them both to sleep.


	16. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: **Good news my lovely fans. I have finished my Twilight fic so that means this story is now my top priority fic so yay! I'm planning on having 5 to 6 updates a month, which means I should be finished by like September or October, sadly. Thanks for all the support for my extractions and the fic and all that other good stuff. Haha. Read and review!**  
**

**Chapter Fifteen:**

Last night had been perfect, truly perfect.

Gill slowly began to wake up from sleep with a deep yawn escaping his lips. He rubbed his tired eyes and felt very surprised to feel a warm body behind him. Not to mention, he felt something long and hard jabbing his back. A crimson blush formed on the boy's face as he slowly turned back around to see that Silver was sleeping behind him.

All the memories of last night came rushing back to his head, making the blush grow deeper. Gill covered his mouth to keep himself from saying anything out loud as he threw himself back onto the bed. He couldn't believe that he actually did all of that with Silver last night. The dry, sticky feeling he had on his chest was evidence enough of what they did. It was more than enough to make the boy freak out a little.

Why though was he panicking? Gill calmed himself down enough to slowly think a little more like a rational person. He really did like Silver, even if the red head was a total jerk. He felt really good when Silver was around, Silver did seem to like him otherwise he wouldn't keep saving his life, and everything just seemed to flow better when Silver was around. Even when they were battling each other or arguing, Gill felt that Silver's presence was enough to better him. Silver made him a stronger person; he made it possible for him to do the impossible.

So why was he so embarrassed to be waking up, naked, next to Silver?

It could be just because this was the first time that this has ever happened to him. He never gave a person so much of himself before. Heck, he never kissed anyone before but Silver, not in the romantic sense at least. It was a little nerve wrecking to be doing all of this with a boy who was older then you that you knew next to nothing about. Silver was so much of a stranger to Gill, but yet he yearned for him so hard.

"Is this what it's like to be in love?" Gill asked himself.

Silver gave out a heavy breath behind Gill. The boy turned around, frightened that Silver might have heard him, but was relieved to see that he was still asleep. Gill sighed before deciding to get a little closer to him. He scooted over the mattress a little, pulling himself a little closer to Silver who already had his arms wrapped around his slim hips. Silver's hold on him seemed to tighten almost immediately as Gill had his chest up against Silver's.

Gill looked at the sleeping boy, seeing just how content he looked. This was probably the only time he'd ever see Silver so vulnerable. It was an incredible sight to see. Silver looked completely innocent, the way someone his age should be. He seemed at peace as he slept beside the younger boy, even a tiny smile was on his face.

The boy placed the tip of his finger on Silver's rosy lips just out of curiosity. His finger traced over the smooth lips, but he quickly pulled it away before Silver could wake up. He then ran his hand down the side of his face, to his neck, and then to his arms. Gill didn't get much of a chance to touch Silver last night, not in the way he would've wanted for his first sexual experience.

It wasn't as romantic as he had planned in his head, but at least the boat part happened.

Yes, Gill Hart always imagined losing his virginity on a boat.

Gill felt like a total idiot for even admitting that in his head. He started to laugh a little, the movement of his chest sent vibrations against Silver's body, forcing the red head to wake up. The boy made himself silent as Silver yawned and fought to open his eyes as the sunlight crept into the porthole.

"Five more minutes," Silver mumbled, closing his eyes once more. He pulled Gill closer to him, purely out of instinct since he wanted the body warmth. Gill blushed as their naked bodies rubbed against each other again, sending pleasurable sparks to the both of them. That was enough to completely wake Silver up with a dirty smile on his face. "Oh. That's right. I forgot I was here."

"So did I," Gill said, sarcastically.

Silver smirked at the boy before grabbing his wrists quicker then Gill could've seen. He rolled the boy on top of him, his hands then taking the boy by his thighs, and spread his legs open. Gill gave a surprised gasp when he felt Silver's morning wood poking at his hole. The boy latched his arms onto the upper portion of Silver's arms, feeling frightened by this change in position.

"We shouldn't," Gill whispered.

"Why not?" said Silver. "Did you forget about what we did last night? I didn't. I had a lot of fun, and you did to." To prove his point, he ran his hand down Gill's skinny chest before grabbing hold of the boy's erection. Gill softly moaned as Silver gently began to stroke him.

Eyes closed, Gill shivered as he arched his back a little. Silver's erection rubbed against the crack of the boy's ass, which made Silver groan slightly. His length would occasionally try to push its way inside of the virgin entrance, but he didn't want to force himself in just yet. That would be for another time. Right now, he was happy with just teasing Gill, making the boy completely his submissive.

"Silver, stop!" Gill cried, but it was too late. His muscles tightened around his abdomen and he clenched his ass out of natural response. The boy gave out a soft cry as his body jerked while releasing his seed onto Silver's chest.

When he finished, Silver just smiled as he wiped his chest clean with the bed sheets. He rolled them around, keeping Gill flat on his stomach while he was right behind him. Silver needed to come too and Gill was going to help him with that.

Gill tensed up as he worried that Silver might try to enter him right now. Silver promised he wouldn't though as he kept rubbing against the boy's round ass. Gill gave out a soft breath while Silver continued to use him to his heart's content. After a few minutes, Silver reached his climax on Gill's back.

A content sigh escaped him as Silver dropped onto the bed, falling asleep yet again.

Gill watched Silver and almost wished that they had gone further. He held onto the bed sheets as Silver's seed dried on his back. He was about to fall asleep too when he remembered the whole reason he was on the boat. He felt stupid for not remembering this sooner, but being with Silver had completely fucked up his priorities.

Gill slowly crawled out of bed, while Silver was sleeping deeply to get ready.

He needed to get that medicine for Jasmine before it was too late.

* * *

After leaving a note behind for Silver so he wouldn't worry, Gill left the boat behind so he could get to work on his mission.

Gill's sneakers made it along the concrete road with the ocean howling next to him. Occasionally, a breeze would kick up and blast him with a bit of sand. He hated the itchy feeling the sand left behind, but it was pretty nice to just walk around like this. He had on a plain t-shirt and a pair of beach shorts that felt awfully comfortable in beachy heat.

If he could, Gill would be in the water right now, playing with all his Pokémon. But he had to focus on his job; he did promise Jasmine after all that he'd hurry to get the medicine. Maybe he'd convince Lyra and Brendon to come back to the island after he earned his Gym Badge from her.

As his feet guided him into town, a surprisingly chilly breeze blew into the island. Gill shivered for a moment when he smelt a strong source of fresh water. It was so sudden not to mention strange that it completely enthralled Gill's attention. The boy turned his head to the side where he saw a blue blur rushing towards the cliffs. Gill raised an eyebrow at this as his curiosity took root and he followed the trail of the blur.

Faint footsteps were pressed into the sandy road like something had barely touched it. This seemed very strange to Gill as he continued to walk along the path. His feet guided him from the sandy path to a dirt path with plenty of rocks along the way. Somehow, Gill knew this could only end badly as he kept on walking.

Eventually, Gill made it to a small clearing where he encountered a small lake or something. He saw the water leading down to the ocean, which meant that this lake was probably full of salt water. Who knew, Gill wasn't big on science or environmental geography type deals. He preferred to stick with Literature and Art. It was easier for his brain to process.

Gill took on step into this mini paradise that was surrounded by palm trees when he heard a loud cry. The sound caused every nerve in Gill's body to vibrate as he spun his body around to see the blur bouncing towards him. Gill quickly dove out of the blur's way only to find that the blur had stopped on the middle of the water. With his jaw dropping, Gill saw the Legendary Pokémon, Suicune, yet again.

The Legendary Beast lifted its head up to stare at Gill with its intense, red eyes. It didn't seem hostile at all, which made Gill a little more than nervous as he stood up. The beast leaped from the water and began to run around Gill for but a moment before it took off to run over the ocean with its remarkable, blurring speed.

That had certainly been an experience for Gill, but it wasn't the last he was going to have for today.

Someone was yelling at him, forcing the boy to arm himself with a Pokéball. The boy's eyes lit up with surprise as he saw a familiar face from Ecruteak City. It was the man who was dressed up like a magician, a friend of the Gym Leader Morty.

"You're Eusine, right?" Gill said, dropping his Pokéball to the side. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Tracking Suicune, of course!" said Eusine. He pushed Gill out of his way, gazing at the spot that the Legendary Beast once stood upon. The mere beauty of the Pokémon was mesmerizing enough to entrance the man in its spellbinding power. "I cannot believe that such an amazing Pokémon could exist. It's wonderful…I want to see Suicune up close."

An idea lit up in Eusine's head as he thought about this. He turned towards Gill who was slowly getting back on his feet with the moment blossoming better than he had expected. Eusine took a Pokéball from his hand and summoned the Pokémon contained within it. What came out was a Pokémon known as Electrode, a sphere shaped Pokémon that bore colors similar to that of a Pokéball.

"Suicune will appear if I threaten the life of the Chosen Trainer!" Eusine said, his voice cracking as he spoke. The magician's eyes looked like that of a raving lunatic, which worried Gill as he quickly got up. He was smiling like a devil as he pointed a finger at the Trainer. "You, Gill Hart, will be the key for me uniting with Suicune. Morty has told me of his visions. He is certain that you are the one who will be able to summon the Rainbow-Winged Pokémon from the heavens. The Legendary Beasts are the test to deem you worthy."

"What are you talking about, psycho!" Gill shouted.

"Putting your life in danger will surely be enough to force their intervention!" laughed Eusine. "Now, Electrode, use Self-Destruct!"

Gill didn't need to be told where this one was going. He quickly took off running, while Electrode rolled away from his Trainer as he began to glow brightly. The seconds seemed to tick like hours as Gill tried to get out of the Pokémon's range of attack.

Electrode was completely encased by the glow, leading to his immediate explosion. A small explosion kicked up the dirt, rock, and sand everywhere with the ripple effect leading Gill to trip. The boy crashed his arm into a tree with debris falling all around him, while Eusine was still raving like a lunatic. Gill slowly picked his head up, checking himself for any immediate injuries like a missing leg or two.

There was a little bit of blood trickling down his arm, but he was pretty good other than that.

"What the fuck!" Gill shouted. "Are you trying to kill me? What the hell is the matter with you?"

"The danger hasn't passed yet!" shouted Eusine. "Suicune will come! It will show itself to protect you." He threw another Pokéball out, releasing the Haunter contained within it. He ordered the Ghost-type to attack with a Shadow Ball.

Gill responded to this by releasing his own Eevee. The Normal-type quickly jumped into the way of the Shadow Ball with its effects being completely neutralized. Eevee wasn't scratched not even a bit as he landed back on the ground with a small smile on his little face. Gill sighed with relief as he ordered Eevee to use Shadow Ball as well. He specifically taught him that after the Gym Battle with Morty.

Eevee leaped into the air a little with a small ball of violet energy gathering in front of him. A smile on his face, Eevee released the attack to have it explode against Haunter. The Ghost-type was outdone by a move of the same type, leading to him crashing onto the ground. Eusine recalled his unconscious Pokémon and got ready to replace Haunter when a torrent of water lashed against him.

Eusine fell onto the ground and began to cough off water. A joyous smile was on his face as he stood up, shaking with every step. "Suicune!" shouted Eusine. "You have returned. You have returned to defend your Chosen."

"Go fuck yourself, dumbass." Gill hid the urge to smile as he looked back to see Silver standing there with Croconaw at his side. The red head ran a hand through his hair before issuing another Water Gun from his Pokémon. Croconaw followed the command and blasted Eusine with another blast of water.

Eusine was completely drenched by the heavy pressure of water. He was coughing violently at this point, but it wasn't enough to stop Silver. Eusine wasn't the only one to have a crazed look in his eyes. Gill briefly caught sight of this before the red head pounced on Eusine, pummeling him with his fists.

Gill was initially shocked by this sight, but responded rationally the minute he saw blood. He took off running after Silver and Eusine, while the red head continued his assault. With his fists reddened by blood, Silver was about to smash Eusine in the face yet again when Gill finally yanked him off.

"Enough!" Gill shouted. "Eusine, you better get as far away from as humanly possible. You don't want to know the things that the Champion's son can have done to you."

Eusine seemed to head the warning as he realized as Psychic-type Pokémon. Though he was caked in blood that ran down his nose and covered his suit, he issued his Drowzee to use Teleport. They both disappeared in an instant, leaving Cianwood behind.

Gill sighed as he looked towards Silver's bleeding hand. He shook his head as he pulled out a rag from his back and wiped it off with some water from the lake. "So that was a little…crazy," said the boy. "You didn't have to go all psycho on me too. The Water Gun was plenty enough punishment."

"You're mine, Gill," said Silver. "I didn't want that mystic freak to damage your goods."

Gill rolled his eyes as he pushed the rag into Silver's chest. He got up from the ravaged grown with his Eevee returning to his side. "Is that what this is all about?" said Gill. "The only reason you keep helping me is because I'm your property?" The boy gave out an exasperated sigh as he rubbed his dirt covered fingers on his forehead. He glared at Silver, not bothering to focus on his somber expression. "You get on my nerves, Silver! You have me so damn confused that I don't know which way is up or down."

"And whose fault is that?" laughed Silver. "You know what this is."

"No, I don't know what this is!" shouted Gill. "I have no fucking idea what you want from me. You keep saving me from all these nutcases, yet you tell me that you can love someone and that you don't care about me. What the hell is the matter with you, Silver? You can't just keep stringing someone along like this. I'm not some bitter, cynical person like you! I have a heart, I care about people, I know how to love. But you…all you do is just push me around, expecting me to follow you like some slave."

"You can't be serious," Silver said, rolling his eyes. "I just saved your life, yet again. Why are you bitching at me all of a sudden?"

"Because I can't do whatever this is any longer!" shouted Gill. "I need something more. It would help to know what this even is!" The boy practically screamed at the top of his lungs, which frightened his Eevee and surprised Silver. Gill regained his composure and picked his little Eevee up, pressing him against his chest. "Thanks for helping me, Silver, but do me a favor and stay away from me."

Those were the last words he was expecting to ever say to Silver as Gill took off, returning to town where he should've been all along.

Meanwhile, Silver just stood there like a statue, frozen by the words that had escaped Gill's mouth.

* * *

Gill patched himself up after getting as far away from Silver as he possibly could. He was still boiling about the way everything turned out during Eusine's attack. Then again, it wasn't like Silver didn't have an excuse not to.

The crazed look in Eusine's eyes terrified Gill as he remembered the encounter. It was less than an hour ago, but it felt like it had been so much longer. Explosion could've killed him had Gill not already started to run away. Gill just couldn't understand how one Legendary Pokémon could lead to a man going completely insane like that.

What was so special about Suicune? And why did Suicune seemed drawn to Gill?

It was too much to deal with right now though.

Gill shook all thoughts of Legendary Pokémon, crazy magicians, and a psycho stalker out of his head. He need to realign himself so that he could focus on the task at hand. Right now, he needed to get to the pharmacy so he could get the medicine for the Lighthouse Keeper. If he failed then an innocent Pokémon could die because he was too slow.

With some directions from the locals, Gill made it to the special pharmacy that was operated by the Gym Leader of Cianwood. The place looked more like a shack then a pharmacy, but this was the place that Jasmine sent him to so he just shrugged it off. He entered the shack and abandoned the immediate salty air for a more fragrant scent.

A young woman appeared behind a counter with a few herbs in her hand. She stared at Gill, curiously, probably telling right away that the boy wasn't a local here. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked him. Her long, brown hair fell off her shoulders as she examined the boy carefully. She was trying to figure out if she knew him possibly since she knew everyone on the island.

"My name is Gill Hart," the boy said. "I was sent her by Olivine City's Gym Leader, Jasmine, to retrieve some medicine for a sick Pokémon."

"Oh yes!" the pharmacist said, remembering that order. "I received a phone call from her yesterday that she was sending someone. I'm still working on that particular medicine, but you'll need the permission of the Gym Leader for me to hand it over."

"She warned me about that," said Gill. "I don't understand why though."

"Don't ask me," the pharmacist said, shrugging her shoulders. "Chuck is a bit of a weirdo sometimes. I think his old age is starting to catch up to him. I'll call him right now and tell him you're on your way. The Gym is right down the street."

"Would you happen to know what type of Pokémon he specializes in?" asked Gill. "This doesn't exactly give me a lot of time to prepare. I still need to get my Pokémon to the Pokémon Center."

"Fighting-type," said the pharmacist. "I recommend you to use Flying and Psychic types. They'll be able to do the most damage against him. Good luck, Gill. I'll make sure the medicine is ready when you're done with the Gym Battle."

Gill just nodded his head and thanked her as he left the pharmacy.

This was by far the weirdest place he's been too on his journey.

* * *

The Cianwood City Gym was exactly where the pharmacist said it would be. After making a quick pit stop at the Pokémon Center, Gill made his way over to the Gym with a deep sigh escaping him. He was nowhere near as prepared as he had hoped to be, but he figured that meant he was just going to have to try a lot harder to scathe a win.

Gill had heard a little bit about the Fighting-type warrior, but he wondered if the rumors were a bit exaggerated. He heard plenty of crazy things like Chuck enjoyed intimidating his challengers by fighting them personally to forcing them to watch as he meditates under a waterfall. He figured that this Gym Leader possibly had a few more screws loose then Whitney did.

As he entered the dojo-like Gym, Gill found himself in the presence of a serious of sweaty men who were busy training themselves and their Pokémon. For a moment, Gill just had to pause and enjoy the view before his sanity returned to remind him why he was there in the first place. He asked the first person he saw to find out where the Gym Leader was. The Gym Leader's pupil left immediately to retrieve the Gym Leader for him.

The wait lasted less than three minutes. A large boom alerted Gill to someone's presence as the large ring was completely cleared. An older man who was packing a little more fat then muscle showed up with the pupil with a serious scowl on his face. The man wiped his hands over his maroon training pants where his black belt dangled freely.

"I'm assuming you're Gill Hart?" said the man. "I was told by Jasmine and the pharmacist that you were coming today."

"Yes sir," said the Trainer. "I need the medicine for the sick Ampharos. Everyone said I would need to battle you first to get it."

"That's correct, young one! I am Chuck, the Gym Leader of Cianwood City." Just to show off, the Gym Leader flexed his sagging muscles. His students gathered around the edge of the ring, idolizing their master as he prepared to do battle with a snot-nosed kid. "Now, either way I'll give you the medicine, win or loss, but I'm assuming you came here to win," said the Gym Leader. "So show me what you're made of in a two-on-two battle! Daryl, you'll be the referee for the match."

A student immediately jumped into the ring, keeping his distance from the two opponents though.

"I'll have to warn you that I'm strong," said Chuck. "I train under a waterfall every day."

"What do waterfalls have to do with training Pokémon?" asked Gill.

Chuck was about to bite the kid's head off from that rude remark. His pupils prepared for the worst, but Chuck only swallowed his words as he made it to his end of the ring. "Good point," said the Gym Leader. "Come on. We shall do battle!"

"Then I should warn you," said Gill, "my father is the Johto Champion. I won't be that easy to defeat!"

"Now I'm very interested to see what you got, Gill," laughed Chuck. He pulled out his first Pokéball, tossing it to release the Pokémon contained within it. "Go Primeape!" The Pokémon was a wild like creature with boxing gloves on his fists. The white, fur ball gave out an angry battle cry as he appeared on the ring, ready to battle.

Gill knew this would probably be a bad move, but he knew how Primeape's liked to battle. He needed a heavy hitter that could take a punch or two. So he pulled out his Pokéball and was ready to release his surprise. "Go Ursaring!" shouted the boy. Emerging from the Pokéball was the evolved form of his Teddiursa. She had evolved during their preparations for their Gym Battle with Morty. Gill decided to save her for later and later meant today.

"A Normal-type," said Chuck. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, kid. Fighting-types are exceptionally strong against Normal-types."

"Don't worry, I have a few tricks up my sleeve," said Gill. "Ursaring, use Slash!"

"Primeape, use Double Team!" shouted Chuck.

As Ursaring went stampeding towards Primeape, the wild monkey began to glow. Multiple Primeape's began to emerge from him just as Ursaring slashed at one. The fake was shattered and the real Primeape jumped from the ground to punch Ursaring in the chest. She stumbled backward, taking in the mild attack with ease.

Gill brushed his bangs out of his left eye as he saw the Primeape had some speed on him. He hadn't expected that, but he already knew how to deal with that. "Ursaring, use Growl!" shouted the boy. His Pokémon followed the command and gave out a horrifying Growl. Primeape was forced into covering his ears in order to not go completely mad from it. Even the students had to cover their ears from the attack.

Ursaring charged after Primeape this time and took advantage of his weakness. She smashed her fist against the front of his face, sending her opponent flying across the ring. Primeape quickly recovered though as he landed back on his feet. He charged after Ursaring with hopes of pummeling her furry face in. Ursaring met Primeape blow for blow though as she too smashed his face in with her heavy fist.

The battle got a little bloody, but neither one was willing to give in.

Primeape and Ursaring continued to attack one another until one of them would pass out. Chuck tried to end the match with a Focus Punch, which required maximum concentration. Gill wasn't about to let that happen though as he had Ursaring use Slash to break that concentration. Her claws would scratch against Primeape's face, shattering the mental focus needed to pull off the attack.

This proved frustrating for Chuck and Primeape as Ursaring slowly brought down her opponent's health. The Gym Leader had Primeape go on an all out offensive to win the match. Primeape attacked Ursaring like a madman, which worried Gill by all the damage she was taking quickly. He knew he had to have Ursaring do the same if she was going to survive this.

With a final punch between the two, Primeape and Ursaring smashed into one another to put an end to the match. They both stumbled back from the critical hits and landed with their backs against the ground. The pupil waited only seconds to see the results of the attack then called the match once it was clear what had happened.

"Primeape and Ursaring are unable to battle!" said the referee. "This match ends in a tie. Gym Leader and Trainer, send out your final Pokémon."

"Now this is getting juicy!" laughed Chuck. "Poliwrath, show them your fury!"

"Show me what you got, old man!" shouted Gill. "Pidgeotto, take them down!"

The opponents recalled their unconscious Pokémon and immediately threw in their next ones. Pidgeotto began to fly around them, while Chuck's Pokémon slowly began to rise up. Gill was a little surprised to see that Chuck had sent a Poliwrath out against him. He knew that it was the fully evolved form of Poliwag if a Water Stone was used. Gill was debating how to evolve his Poliwhirl, it looks like he'd get to see reasons why to go for Poliwrath today.

The battle began even before the Trainers could issue out a command.

Poliwrath tried to fire a torrent of water at Pidgeotto to bring him down from the air. Pidgeotto deflected the Water Gun by using Gust to return the attack back to its sender. Water Gun splashed against Poliwrath, but hardly did any damage to him. Gill smirked at his Pokémon's creativity, he'd have to remember that move for future battles.

Gust was used yet again in hopes of using the type advantage to get an easy win. However, Poliwrath's dual status as a Water-type neutralized the effectiveness of Gust. The strong winds did enough damage, but nowhere near enough to guarantee an easy victory. Poliwrath returned the favor by using Surf against him.

A wave of water rose up just as Poliwrath's eyes began to glow. The water ascended the Pokémon up into the ceiling where Pidgeotto was flying around. Using this to their advantage, Chuck had his Pokémon strike while the iron was hot. Poliwrath jumped and smashed his gloved fist into Pidgeotto. The Bird Pokémon gave out a loud cry as he fell towards the ground as the Surf began to vanish.

The stage was left wet because of this, making it difficult for Pidgeotto to stand. Gill feared that this would be the end for them both, but he realized he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't afford to lose, he had to push them both forward to gain a win against Chuck and his Poliwrath.

"Roost!" Gill shouted, trying to buy them some time.

Pidgeotto managed to recover a little bit of his lost health with this move. Poliwrath had begun to charge after him, his fist glowing as Focus Punch had been used while he was recovering. Gill knew they would have to attack fast and hard if they were going to win this match. Pidgeotto seemed to understand this as well as his wings began to glow.

Poliwrath attempted to smash into Pidgeotto with Focus Punch, but Pidgeotto got out of the way using Agility. The move granted him a speed boost great enough to avoid the attack while his large wings continued to glow. Spreading his wings apart, Pidgeotto smashed them into Poliwrath with every bit of strength he could muster up. Gill began to smile as he realized that Pidgeotto just learned to use Wing Attack.

The enemy Pokémon stumbled back, dizzy and confused after suffering a direct hit. Poliwrath completely collapsed onto the ground and was no longer able to battle. The referee quickly called the match, declaring Gill as the winner of the battle.

"Yes!" Gill shouted as he caught the incoming Pidgeotto.

The two celebrated, while Chuck surrendered as he recalled his Pokémon. He stuffed his hand into his pocket to retrieve the Gym Badge that Gill had properly earned today.

"I lost. How about that. You are worthy of the Storm Badge," said the Gym Leader. "Take this TM too, you could use it to teach that Ursaring of yours Focus Punch." Chuck handed over the brown, fist shaped Badge over to the Trainer along with the disk. Gill accepted the Gym Leader's gifts, happy to know that this trip wasn't a complete bust. "I enjoyed battling you, but a loss is a loss. Now I just have to train twenty-four hours a day."

"How about you get my medicine first then start training?" said Gill.

Chuck laughed as he swatted Gill in the back, which made the boy lose his breath. The Gym Leader said that he liked Gill's attitude before he dragged the boy out of the Gym to take care of his reason for coming to Cianwood.

* * *

With both the Gym Badge and medicine in hand, Gill was ready to return to Olivine City.

The young Trainer had been escorted to the dock by Chuck where he could catch the boat back to Olivine. The Trainer and Gym Leader were busy discussing their battle earlier when they heard the horn of a boat going off. Both of their eyes lit up as they raced to the dock and saw the boat back to Olivine City leaving port. Gill tried to chase after the boat, but the Gym Leader stopped him before he ended up going into the water.

"It's too late," said Chuck. "Shit! I knew I shouldn't have taken that bathroom break. You would've made it, just barely at least."

"How am I supposed to get back to Olivine City now?" asked Gill.

Chuck stayed silent for but a moment before a smile grew on his face. He dug his hand into a pocket to retrieve a ring of keys. "You wouldn't happen to know how to drive a boat, would you?" asked the Gym Leader.

Gill slowly nodded his head, remembering all the time he spent on his grandparents' boat during the summers. Chuck's grin grew wider as he took hold of the boy's hand and quickly dragged him to the other end of the harbor. The pair made it to where all the privately owned boats were located. The Gym Leader escorted Gill to a decent sized sailboat that actually looked pretty impressive.

"Isn't she a beauty?" said the Gym Leader. "Helen will be able to get you back to Olivine City by the end of the day."

"This is your boat," Gill said, staring at the craft. "It is a pretty boat."

"She," corrected Chuck. "Anyways, when you land, just hand the keys over to the harbormaster. He'll know what to do."

Gill accepted the Gym Leader's keys and he quickly showed the Trainer around the boat. He gave a quick rundown of the operations and made sure that there was plenty of gas to get the boy safely to the city. With all of that taken care of, Chuck was just about to abandon Gill when a sharp voice alerted them both.

The Trainer and Gym Leader looked back to see Silver standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.

Silver stared at Gill who shot a hard glare back at his rival. Chuck was about to ask questions about that when Silver began to approach the boat. "You know as well as I do that you'll end up dead if you steer this boat on your own," he said to Gill. "I don't want your death on my conscious, plus you have my Golbat."

"What part of 'I hate you' didn't you understand?" Gill said, bitterly.

"Don't be an idiot, Gill," said Silver. "Besides, I don't think the Champion will appreciate me doing nothing in making sure his son doesn't die out in sea. I'm sure he already has a tracker on me after I told him off at Goldenrod City."

Gill couldn't argue with that, no matter how badly he wanted to. With a heavy sigh, he completely caved into Silver as he turned to thank Chuck once again. The Gym Leader simply nodded his head before saying goodbye, leaving the boys to care for his boat.

Once the Gym Leader was gone, Gill quickly got to work at hitching the sails with Silver silently helping him.

"This is going to be a long ride," Silver said, softly.

They slowly began to drift away from port with Gill moving to the wheel. The black haired boy wanted to just ignore Silver, but he had to admit that he was right. "Yeah, we probably won't make it to Olivine City until nightfall," he said, nicely. "This is going to be a very long ride."

"Gill," Silver said, still holding onto the boy's attention, "I…ugh…sorry."

The boy just shook his head, but couldn't help but to fight the urge to smile. It was a start in the right direction at least. "Thank you," said Gill. Maybe there was some hope for Silver after all.

And with that said, so was the beginning of their long journey back to the main land.


	17. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:** Well, I did manage to squeeze out another update after all. Despite all the rain that's going bonkers around here. I was going to include the opening part for the last chapter, but it don't know. I'm not too thrilled with how it turned out. I wrote it like three times before settling on this one. Well, read and review.**  
**

**Chapter Sixteen:**

Gill was sitting down on the boat with the sun beating down against his bare back. He had some sun screen on to keep his pale skin from burning too severally. Silver was busy steering the boat now, while Gill worked on his tan. The waves would ripple against the boat, creating smaller splashes that would occasionally soak against Gill's skin.

Silver would occasionally turn to look at the silent Gill as he sunbathed. The red head watched as he leaned his head back, exposing his creamy neck. Silver licked his lips out of lust, while they got closer to Olivine City. His red hair was beating against his face with the wind pushing at it like wild.

"You're staring at me," Gill said, eyes closed. "It's getting a little creepy."

"I've seen you naked," Silver reminded him.

"Great, now I know you're picturing me naked," Gill said, straightening himself out. He grabbed his discarded t-shirt and put it back on. Now he felt awfully self-conscious as he got away from the red headed boy.

Silver just rolled his eyes while fixing his black t-shirt. He would've shrugged out of it had he not been certain that Gill would've jumped out of the boat. "So are you still going to bitch just because I blooded the magician up a little?" said Silver.

"I'm not mad about that," said Gill. "I appreciate the rescue. What I'm mad about is you being such a psycho, possessive jerk all the time."

"Well it help if I apologize?" asked Silver.

"You're capable of apologizing?" said the boy. "I wasn't aware that someone as emotionally retarded was capable of mustering up one."

Silver gave him a silent glare, which Gill returned with equal intensity. The moment snapped as a rough wave smashed into the boat, rocking them both around a bit. Gill nearly fell off his seat, but quickly grabbed onto something for support. He turned to Silver to see that the red head wanted to laugh.

Gill wanted so badly to just hit Silver right now.

"Fine," Silver said, tilting his head up to the ceiling. "Listen, Gill, I'm sorry. I get that you're nothing like me, you actually have emotions. I, on the other hand, don't care that much about emotions and things of that nature. I did grow up the way you did. My life was all about survival of the fittest. Daddy dearest wasn't big on emotions either. All I had were some assistants and this governess-type lady."

Gill listened closely to what Silver had to say. He never believed that Silver would open up so much like this, never in the wildest dreams. "What about your mom?" asked Gill. "What happened to her?"

"Not exactly sure what happened to her," Silver confessed. "Dad never spoke about her and I could never dig up anything about her. I don't even know her name. The only thing I know is what his assistants told me. Some say she died during labor, other's say she abandoned us, and the rest say my dad had her killed."

"Your dad might have killed her!"

"My dad is nothing like your dad," Silver said, bluntly. "My dad is a criminal, simple as that. Well, not that simple. He's pretty high up there in the criminal food chain. He abandoned me though when the police nearly caught him. I've been on my own for the past five years."

Gill frowned as he brushed his hair away from his face. He slowly pulled himself back on his feet and made his way over towards Silver. He placed his hand on his arm before leaning his head against him. "I understand, Silver," said Gill. "I get that this probably isn't easy for you. I just…I just don't like being played with. I need to know that I mean something more."

"And if I can't say what that is?"

"Then do what you do best," said Gill. "Show me. Stop acting like a control-freak. I don't mind you swooping into my rescue, but just don't treat me like your property. Got it?"

"Yeah, I get it," said Silver.

Gill smiled as he held onto Silver and stared out into the ocean.

* * *

Their boat made it to dock just before nightfall, leaving Gill impressed by their perfect timing. They stepped off the boat and left in care of the harbormaster who they learned owed Chuck a big favor. With that taken care of, Gill could return to the lighthouse to deliver the special medicine to Jasmine and the sick Pokémon.

Gill took one step on the concrete with a deep sigh escaping his pouty lips. The boy spun around to see that Silver was but a few steps behind him. Silver had his arms on his sides and a soft smirk planted on his usually angry face.

"So where are you going from here?" asked Gill. "You gonna continue to stalk me or are you going to go off on your own for a while?"

Silver just rolled his eyes as he drew himself closer to Gill. His chest nearly pressed against the boy with his lips hovering only a few centimeters away from the boy's lips. "As tempting as that sounds, I need to resume my training," he whispered to him. "If I'm going to be the strongest Trainer there is then I'll have to do a lot of training. The Champions won't stand a chance against me when I'm done."

Gill fought the urge to laugh at the serious cockiness going on with Silver. Instead, he decided to mess with him a little to get back at the red head. He stood on the tips of his toes and planted a gentle kiss against his lips. For a moment, Silver was completely caught off his guard as he closed his eyes and just relaxed.

Sadly though, Gill just pulled away with a gentle smile on his face. "You don't stand a chance, Silver," said Gill. "My dad won't be that easily defeated. Then there's Wallace, the Water Master of Hoenn. Not to mention Cynthia, the Master of Sinnoh, and Lance, the Dragon Master of the Indigo Plateau. Then there's the famous, mystery Champion of Kanto who defeated Team Rocket."

"Whatever happened to Kanto's Champion?" asked Silver. "He just completely dropped off the radar."

"From what my dad said, the Kanto Champion went into seclusion after gaining the title," said Gill. "Nobody knows where exactly he is. Even his name has been kept pretty much hidden. Only the other Champions and officials of the Pokémon League know who he is."

"That's strange, but whatever," said Silver.

The red head kissed Gill on the cheek, ending their time together. Silver left Gill completely alone on the dock to finish his special mission.

* * *

The moon was out by the time that Gill made it to the lighthouse.

Gill had no trouble entering the building this time. The sailors that were protecting Jasmine and Ampharos recognized the boy without any trouble so they let him pass. Gill waved at them, while showing off the special blend of medicine that would cure the sick Pokémon. A sigh of relief escaped the sailors as they followed Gill into the elevator.

They made it to the top floor where the pink room was covered with a sickly scent. Gill rushed into the room where Jasmine, Lyra, and Brendon surrounded the sick Ampharos. The Nurse Joy of Olivine City was also present as well with her Chansey as they attempted to maintain the Pokémon's declining help.

"I'm afraid there is nothing else I can do, Jasmine," said Nurse Joy. "If we don't get that medicine then I'm afraid Ampharos won't make it past the night."

"Oh no," cried Jasmine.

"I made it just in time then!" Gill announced, gaining everyone's attention.

The Trainer handed the medicine over to Nurse Joy, which made everyone feel relieved. Nurse Joy immediately administered care onto Ampharos by feeding with the special blend of herbs. Ampharos struggled to chew it all, but she eventually got it all into her system so now all anyone could do was just wait.

And wait…and wait.

With everyone watching her, Ampharos opened her sickly eyes and gave out a soft cry that eventually build into something louder. She slowly began to stand on her own two feet and the bulbs on her head and tail began to illuminate. Ampharos gave out a strong cry and illuminated the entire room with a strong Flash. The people inside had to cover their eyes to keep themselves from going blind, but they all felt happy to see that Ampharos had made a fully recovery.

As the light began to die out, Ampharos gave out a healthy cry that calmed the worried Nurse Joy and Jasmine. The Pokémon walked over to Gill and hugged the boy, which he assumed meant thank you for the medicine. The boy smiled as he hugged the Pokémon back, grateful that he was able to do something to save his life.

Jasmine walked towards Gill with a warming smile on her youthful face. "Thank you so much, Gill, for saving Ampharos. You have no idea what you've done to save the city," said the Gym Leader. "Now that she is back to full health, I can return to my duties at the Gym. When you're ready to challenge me then I will be there. Goodbye Gill and thank you once again. Thank you, everyone as well for everything you've done to help us."

The Gym Leader left the lighthouse after that with the sailors following her lead. Gill gave out a loud yawn and had Nurse Joy suggest that the Trainers go to the Pokémon Center. And as token of her thank, Nurse Joy promised to hand over a HM that contained the move Fly once she returned. The Trainers agreed to go, leaving the nurse alone to make sure that Ampharos's health didn't decline once more.

As the trio left the lighthouse, Gill briefly explained everything that happened to him when he left. He told them how he met the Hoenn Champion, which led to Lyra throwing a million questions at him. Brendon tried to help Gill out with all these questions since he had run-ins with Wallace as well. Then Gill told them about the Gym Leader of Cianwood, deciding to omit the part about Suicune, Eusine, and Silver.

He wasn't sure how they'd respond to all of that just yet.

* * *

For just a day, Gill did everything he could to prepare for his upcoming Gym Battle with Jasmine. He snooped around town to learn about the Gym Leader and her usual battle strategy. The Pokémon Center was the best place to collect all of this information so he spent the bulk of his morning there, chatting it up with the other Trainers there.

It was there that he learned that Jasmine specialized in Steel-type Pokémon. Gill quickly began to dread the match after learning this because he was well aware that Steel-types were difficult to battle against. They might be slow, but they had such a high defense and strength that it more than made up for that. It didn't exactly help that it was hard to Pokémon who had enough power to do any damage to Steel-types.

That's where Brendon came in. Steel-types were a lot more common in the Hoenn Region, plus he had a Steel-type of his own. He needed to know their strengths and weaknesses if he was properly going to train his Pokémon.

Gill received a quick crash course in battling Steel-types. Brendon used his Lairon to be the tester for Gill. Lairon was a large, Steel and Rock-type Pokémon that was covered with silver and gray armor. The four-legged Pokémon was plenty strong too and easily wiped the floor with most of Gill's Pokémon until Brendon dropped the obvious hint.

Most Steel-type Pokémon were dual typed. It was hard to find a pure Steel-type, which left a window to do damage against them. Steel-types had a heavy vulnerability against Fire, Fighting, and Ground-type attacks. And depending on what their second type was then more attacks could be exploited against them. When Gill realized that Lairon was also a Rock-type, he ended the fight with Poliwhirl.

After all of that, Gill worked on preparing the best strategies to combat against Jasmine's Steel-types. Her selection of Pokémon would be a surprise, but at least Gill felt better prepared on what to expect. He felt ready to take on the Gym Leader by the next day so he ditched Brendon and Lyra so that they could go exploring, while he would battle Jasmine.

On his own, the boy made his way towards the edge of town where the Olivine Gym stood.

Inside, the Gym was rather plain but looked spotlessly clean. Everything seemed to be shiny, including the seats and the outer part of the rocky ring. Gill just nodded his head in appreciation of the Gym, while he slowly walked towards the ring.

"I had a feeling you'd come in the morning," said a soft voice. Gill watched as Jasmine entered the arena with a referee at her side. Jasmine wore a different dress, one that was all white with a large bow in the front. The young man parted ways with the Gym Leader as he took his spot, while she smiled as Gill approached. "I have been looking forward to our battle, Gill. First though, I'd like to thank you for helping Amphy. If it wasn't for you then the city would've lost her. Thank you, for rescuing her."

"It was my pleasure, Jasmine," Gill said, sincerely. "I am ready to battle you now, Gym Leader of Olivine City."

Jasmine only nodded her head as she signaled the referee to do his official business. The referee prepared to judge the match, while she took out a single Pokéball from a strap attached to her white dress. "Do you know about Steel-types, Gill Hart?" asked the Gym Leader. "They are very hard, cold, sharp, and really strong. I'm not lying. You'll earn your badge only if you can defeat me in a three-on-three match! Go Magnemite!"

"Let's do this, Quilava!" shouted Gill.

The two opponents released their Pokémon from their Pokéballs. Gill had decided to make things easier on himself by using a Fire-type to exploit the obvious weakness of Steel-types. He was happy to see that Jasmine had sent out a Magnemite. He felt stupid for forgetting that the Electric-type was also part Steel.

Quilava spouted fire from his head and back as he geared up for battle. Magnemite released a few sparks from the magnets on the sides to show off as well. The referee called the match to begin, which it did with a bang.

Jasmine had Magnemite start things off with a Thunderbolt. The magnets attached to Magnemite began to swell with electrical energy which it released in a vicious display of power. Thunderbolt raised across the ring, breaking the dirt ground apart as it went straight towards Quilava. Gill had his Pokémon use Quick Attack to dodge the Thunderbolt before it could make contact. Quilava used the burst of speed to escape just in time.

Gill knew he had the power to end this match quickly, which was exactly what he was going to do. Quilava responded with his Trainer's motivation by using Ember to put an end to this. A few sparks of fire spouted out from him mouth and melted the Steel-type. Magnemite suffered as a critical hit easily took it out of the match.

With one Pokémon down, Gill was already off to a good start.

Jasmine surprised Gill by calling out a second Magnemite. That seemed odd to him since it seemed pretty obvious that her Magnemite would only lose against his Quilava. He knew better than just to follow through with that assumption. It was possible that she had something especially wicked up her sleeve…well, dress? Gill had no idea what to say about the sweet and innocent looking Gym Leader.

Magnemite created a Sonicboom by releasing a powerful vibration from its magnets. The boom rippled against the dirt and crashed into Quilava, doing a little bit of hurt to his Pokémon. Gill wasn't about to give in though, he knew his Quilava could take a hit and dish one back out. Quilava knew this as well as he charged after the floating Magnemite with fire wrapping around him as he used Flame Wheel. Once his entire being was consumed by fire, Quilava easily delivered the final blow to Magnemite.

As Jasmine's second Pokémon was defeated, she didn't seem even the slightest bit worried. Despite how easily that Gill was stomping her, the Gym Leader remained perfectly calm. She recalled her second Pokémon and took out her final Pokéball. She rubbed her fingers gently against the red and white ball as her eyes seemed to be holding a secret behind them.

"Properly tempered steel won't be made rusty by things like this," Jasmine spoke, calmly. "Steel will hang on till the very end."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Gill.

Jasmine began to smile as she raised her final Pokéball above her head. "You'll soon find out," she told him. "Crush him, Steelix!" Releasing the Pokémon within it, Jasmine put all her power behind this one. A colossal figure emerged from the Pokéball which made Gill's jaw drop as he saw the giant that rose up.

A Pokémon completely covered in bulky steel appeared before Gill. Steelix was a complete monster, leaving the boy horrified by her very intimidating appearance. With his own eyes, he saw that Jasmine was not so sweet and innocent as she appeared to be. There was something powerful behind those bashful eyes of hers.

Steelix gave out a mighty growl that made even Quilava a little nervous. Gill wouldn't submit though as he pushed his confidence into the Pokémon entrusted to him by Professor Elm. Figuring he could end things like the other rounds, Gill had Quilava use Flame Wheel to make this quick and painless. Quilava responded to his commands as he encased himself within a wheel of fire and rushed after the giant, steel snake.

Flame Wheel rocketed Quilava into the air, towards the face of Steelix. The Steel-type wasn't about to submit so easily though. She used released a loud Screech that made smothered Quilava's fire down to nothing, while lowering the defenses of the Fire-type. Quilava managed to land on the ground on his own feet instead of crashing and burning.

Jasmine called for Steelix to use Rock Throw next though. Gill and Quilava had no time to prepare as Steelix cracked the terrain to lift up a giant boulder with her tail. She smashed it apart and threw the multiple pieces at Quilava, which attacked him like missiles. Quilava was covered with injuries as he stumbled backward, completely dazed until he collapse to the ground.

"Quilava is unable to battle!" said the referee. "Trainer Gill, send out your second Pokémon."

Gill was at awe of the power of Steel-types. Steelix was exceptionally strong, which meant he was going to have to try harder to win this match. It wouldn't be anywhere near as easy as it had seemed in the beginning. So to combat Jasmine's power, Gill decided to send out a heavy hitter of his own. He released his Ursaring to help turn the tide back in his favor.

Ursaring emerged from her Pokéball, ready to do some fighting.

She stared down Steelix, both of them growling at one another. Despite the size difference, Ursaring didn't seem afraid of the steel snake. In fact, the difference only made her all the more determined to take her down.

Steelix attempted to end her opponent by smashing her with her tail. She swung the steel covered tail down to the ground, cracking the ground beside Ursaring. Ursaring had dodged the impact and stood strong as she prepared for a second attack. The drill like point on the tail began to glow as Steelix seemed to be gathering energy. Gill wondered exactly what attack Steelix was about to pull when he realized that this was an opening.

"Focus Punch!" shouted Gill.

Gill had taught Focus Punch to his Ursaring since it seemed like it would be helpful during the match. Although, she could also use Rock Smash, Gill had a feeling he'd need to know a stronger Fighting-type move. Ursaring closed her eyes and clenched her fist as she gathered all the power she could. Meanwhile, Steelix raised her glowing tail up as Jasmine shouted at her to use Iron Tail.

Steelix's tail came smashing down towards Ursaring just as the Hibernator Pokémon had the energy needed. With her fist charged up, Ursaring released the Focus Punch against Steelix's steel covered tail. Their two attacks collided together and were struggling to overpower the other. Jasmine and Gill were amazed to see the power behind the attacks of their two Pokémon. The impact seemingly began to illuminate the entire Gym as they fought to overwhelm the other.

Their energy rippled across the Gym until finally contact was made. Their attacks exploded against each other, sending the two Pokémon back. Steelix managed to stay afloat as she was pushed back, but Ursaring had seemed to take a larger portion of the damage. She completely fell to the ground and looked nearly exhausted. Gill knew that this wouldn't end will if he couldn't find a way to quickly deplete all of Steelix's health.

He wouldn't get that chance though since Jasmine reacted quicker.

"Sandstorm," said the Gym Leader.

Steelix whipped up a powerful Sandstorm by kicking up the dirt with her tail. More sand began to filter off her body as well until it completely encased the arena. Ursaring seemed to be going completely mad as she tried to fight her way through the disorienting storm. Steelix took advantage of this as her tail began to glow once as she used Iron Tail once more.

The crushing attack landed against Ursaring, ending the match in favor of Jasmine.

With only one Pokémon left, Gill had to go all out to defeat Steelix. He chose his final Pokémon as he decided to focus purely on Steelix's Rock-type side since he could no longer do damage to both ends. He released his Poliwhirl just as the Sandstorm began to disperse in the process.

Poliwhirl was bouncing around on his feet as he raised his arms up in the air. Gill told his Pokémon to focus, which he did quickly as he took a fighting stance. Poliwhirl bore a determined look in his eyes as he readied himself for battle.

Jasmine tried to put Poliwhirl out of commission by having Steelix use Iron Tail once again. The glowing tail came crushingly close towards Poliwhirl, but the Water-type jumped out of the way. For a split second, it appeared that Steelix's tail was stuck as it took but a moment longer to lift it back up. Gill caught sight of this though and decided to use that opportunity to his advantage.

To start things off, Gill had Poliwhirl use Bubblebeam to lower Steelix's defenses. Poliwhirl took in a deep breath before firing out a slew of bubbles. The rapid fire of the Bubblebeam crashed against Steelix's steel body to do just as Gill had hoped. Slowly, Steelix's health was taken down a bit, but Steelix swung her heavy tail around to break Poliwhirl's attack. Poliwhirl had to move quickly to avoid getting hit as Steelix tried to smash him with her tail.

Iron Tail was used once more against them. Steelix used her heavy, empowered tail to smash into the ground to finish Poliwhirl and end the match for Jasmine. However, the match would end in favor of Gill instead. As the tail came crashing down, Poliwhirl used Surf just as Gill told him to. The wave of water that formed around Poliwhirl was used to lift the Water-type up, pushing him passed the Iron Tail. Iron Tail smashed through part of the Surf, doing a bit of damage to Steelix, while the rest propelled Poliwhirl to Steelix's face.

"End this, Poliwhirl!" shouted Gill. "Use Water Gun."

Poliwhirl took in a very deep breath before releasing the torrent of water. Water Gun crashed directly against Steelix's face, drowning the Steel and Rock-type with water. A smile grew on Gill's face as he slowly watched Steelix crumble down to the ground until she could finally no longer battle against them.

It was done, Poliwhirl had taken down the colossal Steelix!

"Steelix is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Gym Leader Jasmine has been defeated. Trainer Gill and Poliwhirl are the winners!"

"Yes!" Gill shouted, throwing his fists into the air.

Poliwhirl landed gracefully on the ground with a splash popping up around his feet. The leftover water from Surf was used for dramatic effect as Poliwhirl threw his own fists up. The two cheered themselves on, while Jasmine humbly recalled her unconscious Steelix.

With that done, Jasmine walked across the soaked arena to hand over the Gym Badge to Gill. She kept smiling though even in defeat as she bowed out, gracefully. "You are a better Trainer then me, in both skill and kindness," said Jasmine. "In accordance with League rules, I confer upon you this Badge. It is my honor to present you with the Mineral Badge, Gill Hart."

Jasmine held out the steel-colored octagon to the winner. Gill smiled back at the defeated Gym Leader as he accepted the Gym Badge from her. Poliwhirl jumped around, happy to know that they had won another Gym Battle together.

"Take this with you too," the Gym Leader said, relinquishing a TM. "This contains the move, Iron Tail. It can come in handy since it has the ability to lower your opponent's defenses. Use it wisely, Gill."

"Thank you, Jasmine," said Gill. "Thank you for the exhilarating match. I've never been so easily overwhelmed by a single Pokémon since I battled the Azalea Town Gym Leader."

"Remember to stay on your toes then," Jasmine warned him. "The Mahogany Town and Blackthorn City Gym Leaders are stronger then I am. If you can defeat them then the Elite Four will be your next challenge. A group of the strongest Trainers in both Kanto and Johto, they hold the real power. They will be the ones to test your worth as a Trainer."

"Do you think I'll stand a chance?" asked Gill.

"Maybe," Jasmine said, tilting her head slightly to the side. "All I know is that I'll be cheering for you. Good luck with your journey. Might I suggest going to Mahogany Town next, you might find the Gym Leader there to be a little easier to chill pass."

Gill nodded his head at the Gym Leader, but felt a little odd by that last bit.

Still on a high from his victory, Gill left the Gym with a grin on his face and just itching to tell the others about the battle he had just now.

* * *

Even with the Mineral Badge in hand, Gill still didn't feel the need to rush to Mahogany Town like Jasmine recommended. This change in attitude was a little surprising to Lyra and Brendon, but they went along with it like usual. So because of this, the Trainers found themselves spending the next month being lost with plenty of distractions.

A week was spent in Olivine City, enjoying the scenery of the port town. Jasmine escorted them around everywhere and took care of the Trainers as a thank you for helping Ampharos. After that fun week, they took the boat out to Cianwood City so Gill could revisit the island and hopefully have a better experience. While they passed the Whirl Islands, Gill told them about the legend of a Pokémon from Ecruteak City that flew to the Whirl Islands after the Brass Tower burned down.

The beach was plenty of fun for the Trainers and their Pokémon. Gill easily erased the painful memory of being attacked by Eusine out of his head. He was plenty happy now with his sister and friend, even if Chuck wouldn't stop bothering him for a rematch. When Chuck got a little too crazy, Gill got Lyra and Brendon off the island so that they could return to Olivine City.

Two more weeks passed as they spent that time back in Goldenrod City. It was nice for Lyra and Brendon to be home for a little while since this journey took them away from it. Gill kind of wanted to go back home to New Bark Town for a little bit, but he knew better than that. Their mother would never let him leave again if he returned home even just for lunch.

With a month past, Gill resumed his journey and made his way to Mahogany Town. The easiest path was to go to Ecruteak City and move along Route 42 east. Now two paths was open to them. They could either use a Pokémon to surf across the water or go through the Mt Mortar. Since their Pokémon already knew Surf then it was an easy decision to make.

After changing into their swimsuits, the trio made their way across the water with their Pokémon. Gill held onto his Poliwhirl, while Lyra and Brendon used their newly evolved Pokémon. Lyra's Marill had evolved into Azumaril and Brendon's Mudkip had evolved into Marshtop. They made it across the water, passing by the colossal Mt. Mortar.

Gill was the first to touch land and could see that town was across another small lake. The boy wiped off some of the water from his skin, while Lyra and Brendon caught up to them. Their Water-Pokémon were bouncing happily around their Trainers since they enjoyed their time swimming around.

"Mahogany Town isn't too far away from here now," said Brendon. "We'll be there in like thirty minutes."

"Cool!" cheered Lyra. "I've been wanting to try their special Rage Stew for a long time. Dad says that it tastes incredible."

"Then let's keep moving then," said Gill. "The sooner we get there then the sooner we can get that stew!"

The Trainers were about ready to cross the lake when a soft cry gained their attention. The familiar sound made Gill freeze as he recognized it almost immediately. Gill turned his neck slowly around just in time to see a blue blur racing passed them. The blur stopped in front of the trio of Trainers, but it had its eyes solely on Gill.

Suicune had returned yet again.

It had been a month since they last met, but Suicune was as beautiful as ever. Gill could almost see why Eusine had gone so bonkers with the beauty of the Legendary Beast. Meanwhile, Lyra and Brendon were completely in shock by the appearance of the Pokémon. They tried to figure out what was going on when Gill slowly made his approach to the beast.

A soft howl left Suicune's lips before it took off once more. The Legendary Beast raced across the water, abandoning Gill and his companions.

"I missed it yet again," said another voice.

Gill knew that and wasted no time in springing to action. He had Poliwhirl use his Water Gun without any mercy at the newcomer. Poliwhirl took in a deep breath before releasing a heavy blast of water at the target.

Lyra and Brendon tried to stop Gill, but it was too late. The Water Gun crashed against the target, practically throwing him against the base of Mt. Mortar. The attack had nearly knocked him out, but he managed to hold his own despite the attack.

The target had turned out to be none other than Eusine. The Suicune enthusiast struggled to get himself back on his feet, while being cautious not to invoke another attack. "I deserved that," said Eusine. He straightened himself out by readjusting his lilac suit.

Gill wasn't exactly so thrilled to see Eusine here. "You deserve a lot more, psycho!" shouted Gill. "Last time I saw you, you nearly tried to kill me!" The thought of nearly getting blown up was the first thing to pop into his mind. He almost wished that Silver was here to kick his ass yet again, but he remembered that he could defend himself.

Lyra and Brendon immediately asked for an explanation, one that Gill ignored for now.

"Forgive me, Gill," said Eusine. "I know I had no excuse for doing what I did. I shouldn't have attacked you like I did."

"Go away, right now, Eusine!" shouted Gill. "I can't promise that I won't send my Ursaring out to rip you into pieces!"

Eusine could only run inside of the cave within Mt. Mortar to escape the wrath of Gill.

Gill gave out a deep sigh as he walked back towards the water. Poliwhirl loyally followed his Trainer, while Lyra and Brendon continued to chase after him for some answers. He only remained silent though as he swam against the water with his Poliwhirl. He was far too angry to speak to them right now, but he couldn't dodge their questions forever.

Just as they neared the gate too, Gill gave them his explanation. He had to go back to the Ruins of Alph though for the tale to make any sense. He told them of his encounter at the ruins with their dad and a researcher. The Pokémon of the ruins spelt out Ho-Oh, a Legendary Pokémon of the Johto Region. He then went on to tell them of what happened at the Burned Tower in Ecruteak City. He awakened the Legendary Beasts, which made Morty the Gym Leader believe him to be a Trainer from an old prophecy.

"Eusine is obsessed with Suicune," Gill told them. "When Suicune approached me in Cianwood, Eusine was watching. After it left, he snapped and believed that attacking me would cause Suicune to return so he tried to blow me up with his Electrode. I managed to beat him back though before he tried to anything else. Then Silver showed up to kick his ass. Eusine ran away after that. Silver would've totally killed him to protect me."

"You really can't travel alone for shit, can you?" Brendon said.

"Gill!" Lyra shouted, angrily. "You should've told me this sooner. Shit…do you have any idea what mom and dad will do if they find out about this? You'll never be able to leave the house again."

"So are you going to tell them then?" asked Gill.

Lyra sighed and retreated to her head for a moment. She knew it wouldn't be a good idea to keep this from her parents, yet she couldn't crush her brother's dreams either. In the end, it sucked to be her when it came to this. She had to make a decision and fast before she completely lost all traces of her sanity.

With a deep breath, Lyra turned back to her brother. "I won't rat you out," she told him. "I swear though, Gill, if mom and dad find out, I'm playing dumb! I knew nothing about this. You had run away because we got into a fight, got it?" She dumped her backpack to the ground and grabbed her dry clothes. She put on her overalls over her wet bathing suit, while the guys got to work on putting on some clothes as well. "Besides, that cute guy you're totally crushing on saved your life. At least he seems to always be there when you're in the biggest trouble." She raised her eyebrow at Gill, while fastening the last strap.

Gill blushed as he realized that he did tell them about Silver. He practically confessed that they really had some kind of relationship going on, more so than a rival one too by his tone of voice. Gill felt like a total idiot as he threw on his t-shirt, while deciding to keep his wet swim trunks on.

Brendon didn't even bother to yell at Lyra about thinking that Silver was cute. He was too busy laughing at Gill who looked purely horrified by all his thoughts. The Hoenn native just shook his head and kept on laughing as he put a muscle tee on to cover his flat, toned chest.

The trio resumed their journey and made it to Mahogany Town where they saw that an eerie silence had blackened the town. The people seemed drained of vitality and exceptionally jumpy as they made their way rounds. It was downright chilling and made the trio wonder what happened to cause this.


	18. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Well, I was going to split this up into two chapters, but I figured it worked better as a single massive chapter. I am pooped out! I wrote this in two days, which is like insane for me. So I better get some dang good reviews for all of this hardwork! There is only sixteen more chapters that I plan on writing. I'm cutting and combining chapters, especially in Kanto since I'm not going to have Gill do the Gym Leader Challenge there. I don't see the point in going through that again as you'll see why in the coming chapters. So...that's it. Read and review!  
**

**Chapter Seventeen:**

The dreary looking town was enough to make Gill worry as they walked around Mahogany Town. The town looked completely barren, even with the people who walked around the open streets. It was like all the life had been sucked out from the town, leaving behind this empty husk to wallow in this world on its own.

Gill, Lyra, and Brendon kept their guard up as they tried to find the Pokémon Center.

The townspeople of Mahogany Town bore dirty looks at the Trainers as they passed. After everything that's been happened to them lately, why should the townspeople trust anyone, especially strangers? It bothered the Trainers to see the town like this, which made them wonder what could've caused such a thing.

At least they knew the best way to find out what was going on was at the Pokémon Center. Somebody there might be able to tell them something of what had happened to the town. At least, that was their theory and their hopes.

As they neared the Pokémon Center, Gill caught sight of another building. It was a large, feudal type building that he seen in places like Violet City and Ecruteak City. He wouldn't have given the building a second glance had he not noticed something sticking out of a nearby tree. They looked like antennas to him, which really got the gears in the boy's head rolling.

Before he even had a chance to follow up on the lead, Lyra and Brendon dragged him inside of the Pokémon Center. As soon as they entered, they were overwhelmed by the yelling of people inside of the building with the town's Nurse Joy demanding order from the townspeople. This seemed very odd to the travelling Trainers, especially since they never seen a Nurse Joy being so aggressive before.

"What about the Pokémon!" shouted a townsperson. "All the Pokémon are starting to get ill and there's nothing you could do to help them! You're a Nurse Joy, it's your job to heal the sick Pokémon!"

"That's right!" said a group of people.

"I think that's quite enough!" said Nurse Joy. "I am doing everything in my power to help your Pokémon, but even I'm limited to what I can do. I don't even know what's making all of your Pokémon so ill. I am trying my best with the limited resources I have."

"Blast woman!" shouted another person. "What good are you to us?"

"That's a little uncalled for!" Brendon found himself shouting. He gained the attention of part of the town, which frightened his companions as they stepped back. Lyra and Gill weren't about to get dragged into whatever was going on in his head.

Brendon didn't seem to care as he pushed through the crowd of people to stand beside Nurse Joy. The nurse looked alarmed to see this stranger coming towards her, but she didn't seem to resist what support he seemed to have for her.

"You can't go disrespecting a Nurse Joy like that, regardless of the situation!" said Brendon. "They have taken a sworn oath to heal sick and injured Pokémon. A Nurse Joy wouldn't go breaking that oath she took. You all know that she is doing everything in her power to help your Pokémon. Remember, when you point your finger at someone, there are three more pointing back at you! So maybe you should think more about what you're doing to your Pokémon before you go around blaming somebody else!"

The townspeople only grumbled at the Trainer from Hoenn.

Nurse Joy looked relieved to see that the hostility from the townspeople had died out some. At least they were no longer shouting at her, which gave her time to compose her thoughts some. She took a moment to thank Brendon for his aid before facing down the angry people. "I have sent out word to the Pokémon League of our situation," said the nurse. "They are sending in someone to investigate what is causing this strange illness. I have reason to believe that what is happening at the Lake of Rage might be responsible for this."

"Let's get to the lake then!" shouted a townsperson.

"Yeah!" said another.

They all began to clear out of the building, while Gill and Lyra got out of the stampede's way. Once everyone they were all gone, the Trainers went over to the distraught Nurse Joy. She seemed like this encounter had shot her nerves even with her Chansey attempting to relieve the pressure in her head, despite the tired look in the Pokémon's eyes.

Brendon placed a hand on the nurse's shoulder, which startled her a little. He apologized for that as Lyra and Gill moved to stand beside him. The nurse sighed as she straightened herself up to face the Trainers.

"I'm sorry you had to see all of that," said the nurse. "I'm afraid I cannot help your Pokémon right now though. A strange illness has attacked the Pokémon who resided in town and around the Lake of Rage. Since you are travelers, I am certain that your Pokémon won't suffer from this virus or whatever this might be for at least a few days. If you haven't taken them out of their Pokéballs then I suggest that you immediately leave the town."

"You said something is going on at the Lake of Rage though, right?" asked Gill. "Why is everyone in town so silent and cranky?"

"This strange illness is the cause, I'm afraid," said Nurse Joy. "I told you everything I know though. If you'll excuse me, I need to try and do my best to help all of these sick Pokémon."

The nurse returned to her station, leaving the Trainers alone to their thoughts.

There was no point even debating, they already knew they wanted to go to the Lake of Rage to see what was going on.

* * *

North of Mahogany Town and passed Route 43 was the famous Lake of Rage. One of the largest bodies of fresh water in Johto, the Lake of Rage was said to have been created by many Gyarados that created a devastating storm. The small lake was torn into a massive crater that was filled with water by the storm.

The Trainers made it passed the town gate and were nearing the lake. They tried to make it there in a timely manner, hoping to even catch up with the insane townspeople too.

"What do you think is causing all of this?" Gill asked the others. "How could Pokémon be getting ill yet the lake is to blame?"

Lyra had her hands in the pockets of her shorts as she followed Brendon's lead. She licked the corner of her lips when a thought popped into that pretty head of hers. "You know, it's possible that the lake is contaminated," said Lyra. "The wild Pokémon drink from it, get sick, and spread the sickness to other Pokémon."

"That makes sense," Gill said, feeling stupid for not thinking of that either.

"Somehow, I doubt it's that easy," Brendon said to them. "I don't know why, but there's something about this place that gives me a feeling of uneasy." He stopped walking and looked up to the sky for a moment. Lyra and Gill looked up too, wondering what it was that he was looking for. "This feels like the calm before a storm. Back in Hoenn, these organizations released two Legendary Pokémon that nearly destroyed the continent before being calmed by a third."

Lyra paused for a moment, remembering Brendon telling her something about this before. She walked up to her boyfriend and locked her hand around his. "You're talking about Team Aqua and Team Magma, right?" she asked him. "Weren't you attacked by them before?"

Brendon nodded his head as he embraced her hold and looked towards Gill. "I know this feeling. Strange things began to happen once Groudon and Kyogre were freed by the two rival teams," said the older boy. "In some parts of Hoenn, it began to flood while others were hit with scorching heat waves. This happened all because Team Aqua and Team Magma were trying to play with the forces of nature. They were defeated though by the Champion Wallace and a Trainer named Ethan. I feel like somebody has a wicked plan that is damaging the natural balance around Mahogany Town."

Gill was in awe of the Hoenn Trainer. He never expected Lyra's boyfriend to have gone through something like that, especially since it involved Legendary Pokémon. But before Gill could say anything else, something black caught his attention. People in black uniforms were sneaking around in the trees. "You might be right," Gill told him. "I think I know who is behind it too."

As Brendon and Lyra were about to ask, Gill threw a Pokéball out to release his Golbat. There were some shouts as three Pokéballs were thrown with a trio of Zubat coming out to play. Gill made quick work of them though as he had Golbat use Supersonic to cause the Zubat to attack each other. The bats fought until they were unable to battle, dropping to the ground while Golbat flew over to Gill's side.

The Trainers gathered to see the men in black uniforms rushing after them. The red R on their chests was a dead giveaway of just who they really wore. Grunts from Team Rocket were here, which could only mean one thing and one thing only.

Team Rocket was behind this.

Preparing for battle, Lyra sent out her Bayleaf and Brendon released his Sudowoodo. The Grunts released their next Pokémon that turned out to be a duo of Ratatta led by a single Raticate. "For the honor of Team Rocket!" shouted the Grunts. They had their Pokémon attempt to perform a Hyper Fang against them. Their attacks were doom to failure though as the three Trainers unleashed their attacks.

Golbat countered with a Wing Attack to blast one of the Ratatta away from them. Bayleaf struck with a Razor Leaf at the other Ratatta, dashing his hopes with the sharp leaves. As for Sudowoodo, he dashed across the ground with a Low Kick to knock out the Raticate with ease.

The Grunts' Pokémon were quickly subdued, making this an easy victory for the Trainers. Before they had a chance to question them, the Grunts fled into the woods for a stealthy getaway.

Now that they knew who might be behind this, the Trainers had to get to the Lake of Rage in a hurry. They felt that Team Rocket would strike again there.

Gill had flashbacks of Azalea Town as he thought about how the townspeople there rebelled against Team Rocket. That quickly turned bad as Team Rocket attacked the Pokémon Center and threw the entire town into chaos. He felt that whatever was going to happen at the lake would no doubt trigger something bad done by Team Rocket.

So the Trainers rushed north to the lake with their Pokémon at their sides.

* * *

A storm had gathered at the Lake of Rage just as the Trainers arrived.

The townspeople of Mahogany Town gathered to the lake to find out what was happening to their town. When Gill and company made it to the lake, the ground began to shake as the water suddenly grew violent. Storm clouds gathered above the lake with lightning flashing across the sky and thunder roared loud enough to wake the dead. Everyone appeared terrified as the bubbling water alerted them to coming danger.

Gill stood his ground alongside Brendon and Lyra. The lake practically erupted as giants emerged that turned out to be none other than a group of wild Gyarados. The townspeople were horrified to see a dozen Gyarados in the lake since one hasn't been spotted in decades. A single Gyarados was surprising, but a dozen was terrifying.

There was another eruption from the lake as another Gyarados appeared into view.

This Gyarados was unlike any other though. This one was slightly large with larger fangs, which was enough to make to make one worry. That alone was something worth to be worried about, but this Gyarados was different from all the rest. The Gyarados was covered with red scales that lightly glistened even in the darkened sky.

Red Gyarados appeared to be the leader of the pack as he gave out a deathly roar. The other Gyarados seemed to obey whatever his command was as they fired heavy torrents of water from their mouths. Their attacks crashed into the ground, breaking the earth apart with a single blow. Their rampage did not cease though, the Gyarados released powerful Hydro Pumps that would destroy the Lake of Rage without any trouble.

It was then that the townspeople were overcome with panic. They ran away since nothing else seemed to matter but getting away before it was too late for them. People ran over one another as they tried to flee the area, Gill was one of the poor kid that got knocked over by the hysterical townspeople. Brendon and Lyra were pushed away from one another and quickly lost sight of the others during the panic.

Eventually, the people had cleared the lake while the Gyarados continued their rampage.

Gill slowly began to pick his head up from the ground with a small cut now on his forehead. The boy pulled himself back up to his feet to see that half of the area had been cleared. The Gyarados were still mindlessly attacking everything, more so then he ever heard in the legends. What really worried him though was this Red Gyarados, which was an unnatural Pokémon, at least in his beliefs.

Red Gyarados had his sights on Gill now though, while the boy struggled to stand on his feet. The beast opened his mouth to gather a swell of energy within him. Gill recognized this attack since he had seen this move before as a kid. Frozen still, Gill was paralyzed with fear as he watched as Gyarados prepared to perform Hyper Beam.

Before the Pokémon could unleash the attack, there was a flash of lightning in the sky. A bolt of lightning came out from the woods to blow apart Red Gyarados's attack. There was another streak of lightning that began to attack the other Gyarados. Scorching flames raced across the lake, burning the wild Pokémon in the process. Red Gyarados attempted to reorganize the others but was struck down with an icy bolt that left him half frozen.

Gill and the others looked around when they heard a different kind of cry. A trio of blurs raced through the woods, stopping in front of Gill and his companions. Gill was at awe as he looked upon the Legendary Beasts once more. Suicune had returned with Entei and Raikou present as well, ready to battle against the army of Gyarados.

The Legendary Beasts howled furiously and unleashed their attacks once again. Suicune fired an Aurora Beam from the insignia on its forehead. Raikou unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt from the fur on its back. And Entei opened his jaw to breathe out a scorching Flamethrower. The attacks of the Legendary Beasts easily overwhelmed the Gyarados of the Lake of Rage, even the Red Gyarados appeared to have been beaten back.

With their duty complete, the Legendary Beasts briefly turned to Gill and stared at the Trainer before disappearing into the woods.

"Wow," Brendon said, in shock.

"You weren't kidding then," Lyra said, noticing the look the beasts gave her brother.

Gill simply nodded his head as he too was left in a state of shock. His mind was frozen as he looked up to see the Red Gyarados stir yet again. The beast wasn't about to surrender just yet, even after the damage it had suffered from the Legendary Beasts.

Red Gyarados opened his mouth yet again to attack with a Hydro Pump. Gill knew he didn't have a single Pokémon powerful enough to knock Gyarados out. His only hope was to use one of his Pokémon as a shield, which made him feel significantly guilty for even thinking about it.

The Hydro Pump was about to be unleashed hewn a bolt of lightning attacked yet again. With his eyes wide, Gill assumed that the Legendary Beasts had returned yet again. He was more than surprised to see that the attacker appeared to be three Magnemite fused together. Briefly scanning this Pokémon, Gill learned that it was a Magneton.

"It never ceases to amaze me how you always seemed to get yourself nearly killed."

Silver appeared from the woods with a serious scowl printed on his face. His Croconaw was standing behind him, looking equally angry as he focused his eyes on the Red Gyarados. The red headed Trainer kept on walking with both his Pokémon following his lead.

Gill was jaw dropped as he saw that it was Silver to his rescue, yet again. The red head bore not an ounce of emotion though as his owes were solely focused on the Red Gyarados. A Pokéball was in the Trainer's hand, which made Gill realize exactly what he was planning.

Silver was hoping to capture the Red Gyarados.

"Magneton, I want you to use Thunderbolt!" shouted Silver. "Croconaw, make Gyarados extra wet by using Water Gun!"

His Pokémon obeyed his commands without any hesitation at all. Croconaw spewed his water all over the Gyarados, which didn't do any damage at all to the wild Pokémon. However, this was just a trick used by Silver to get the Pokémon to drop his guard. Magneton gathered sparks all over its body before unleashing the Thunderbolt with a serious of lightning. Thunderbolt struck Gyarados with the fullness of the attack to leave him sparking with pain.

When Magneton finished it's attack, Gyarados appeared to be truly exhausted from the damage he took from Silver's Pokémon. A smirk grew on Silver's face now as he got closer and flung his Pokéball at the Gyarados. The Pokéball opened up, sucking in the Red Gyarados with the Pokéball dropping on the scarred ground. It shuck for a few moments, but it soon sealed itself off to show that Silver had succeeded in capturing the Red Gyarados.

Silver took the Pokéball and held it in his hands as he turned back to Gill. "This one was their leader, the lake should be a lot calmer now," said Silver. He started to walk towards the Trainers and his companions, briefly touching the hand of the younger boy. "You seriously need to learn to avoid trouble. I won't always be around to rescue your ass from someone or something trying to kill you."

"I'm a danger magnet," Gill whispered. "Trouble always finds me, even if I just stand still."

"Then maybe I need to put you in a bubble," Silver laughed.

Silver started to walk away now, leaving Gill and the Lake of Rage behind.

Gill smiled though as he left him alone at the lake. Silver wasn't lying when he said that the lake would calm down with Red Gyarados gone. The storm clouds began to disperse and the other Gyarados went to sleep, floating above the water, while they were locked with exhaustion.

Brendon and Lyra went over to Gill's side, now they were ready to leave the lake. The few stragglers from Mahogany Town began to stir as well as they looked shocked by everything that happened. They quickly began to leave the lake, fearing that another Red Gyarados might show up and attack.

The Trainers thought that might be a good idea too when a man with a long, black cape blocked their path. He looked older than the others, possibly in his later twenties. The man had spiky red hair that went around all over the place. He had his arms crossed over his chest even though it couldn't be seen because of his cape. He stood completely still as he stood in their way.

"That boy with red hair," this mysterious man said to Gill, "he bears a lot of anger in his soul. It worries me that the Red Gyarados is in his care, yet the way he reacted too you was something different. I can see that your heart is pure, it is pure enough where you can possibly push all that anger away from his soul. Even the Legendary Beasts of Johto have seem to taken a liking to you. You might have been marked as their Chosen Trainer."

"Who are you?" Gill asked.

The man began to smile as he approached Gill and the other Trainers. He tossed his cape back to show off the red-lined, blue suit that he wore with dark brown boots. "Forgive me, it's been a long time since we last met, you probably don't remember me," said the man. "I am the Champion of the Indigo Plateau, the former Champion of both Kanto and Johto before being dethroned. You father was the one who took my title as the Johto Champion."

"You're Lance!" shouted Lyra. "You're the Leader of the Elite Four and the famous Dragon Master."

"And you two are the Champions Victor's daughter and son," said Lance.

"It's an honor to meet you," Gill said, bowing his head a little bit. "What are you doing here though?

Lance smirked at the kids before looking over to the Lake of Rage. He bore a darker scowl on his face that worried the Trainers as they looked at him. "I was called here by the Pokémon League to investigate the situation at the Lake of Rage," said the Dragon Master. "The Nurse Joy of Mahogany Town alerted us to the illness spreading around the Pokémon. I've come to put a stop to it."

"We think Team Rocket is behind this," Brendon told the Champion. "We were ambushed by members of their group before reaching the lake."

"Team Rocket!" Lance spat with venom in his voice. He clenched his fists together for a moment before regaining his heroic calm. "Yes, I have heard they've become activate again. I thought that Red took care of them permanently when he defeated their leader, Giovanni."

"Red?" asked Lyra. "Who is he?"

"Red is the true Champion of Kanto and the vanquisher of Team Rocket," said Lance. "Enough about him though. We must worry about what is happening to this town, especially if Team Rocket are the ones behind this. I will return to Mahogany Town to resume my investigation. If you wish to help me then we must hurry."

Gill, Brendon, and Lyra quickly followed the Champion away from the lake as they made their way back to town.

* * *

As they neared the town, Lance felt that something was a little off. He urged the Trainers to be cautious as he took a Pokéball out from his pocket. He clicked to enlarge the storage device and had the Trainers follow his lead since he did not wish to risk their safety.

The minute they inched their way to the town gate, a group of Grunts from Team Rocket could be seen blocking their entrance. Lance growled with disgust as he told the other three to stand back. He slowly began to march his way forward with a dark scowl imprinted on his face, while finally gaining the attention of the Grunts.

"Get him!" shouted the Grunts' leader. "Nobody is allowed to enter the town."

The Grunts attempted to charge after him, but Lance stopped them by releasing his Pokémon. Emerging from the Pokéball turned out to a be a Dragonite. The large Dragon-type didn't even have to be given an order from his Trainer. He gathered a ball of energy within his mouth before unleashing the Hyper Beam on the Grunts.

Hyper Beam made quick work of the Grunts, leaving them terrified of the Champion and his Pokémon companion. None of them even bothered to try and attack again. The Grunts immediately took off running into town, escaping from the wrath of the Champion of the Indigo Plateau.

Lance started to chase after the Grunts with his Dragonite flying behind him. Gill, Lyra, and Brendon ran after Lance as well, doing everything in their power to catch up to the Champion. When they did, they heard Lance ranting about Team Rocket truly being revived, which was more than enough to worry him.

"I fear that Giovanni may have returned from hiding," said Lance. "I don't even want to know what he's been plotting since his disappearance. With all these criminal organizations out there, I fear what he might try to do to outdo them all."

"Then we really need to get back to town then!" Gill shouted as they reached the gate.

Lance agreed with the boy as they finally returned to Mahogany Town to see the damage done by Team Rocket.

All of the streets had been cleared and not a single soul was out in the open. This bothered Lance a bit, but he followed the trail left behind by the Grunts. He quickly caught sight of one disappearing into a building. He led Gill and the others to the strange shop that Gill noticed the strange tree planted beside earlier.

The Champion led the way, pushing the door to the souvenir shop open. Some of the Grunts that hadn't escaped where exposed now as they tried to flee into an underground entrance. The people that ran the shop looked equally as frightened as the Grunts did. Lance could tell right away that they were all working for Team Rocket, and no doubt the underground entrance led to their base.

Dragonite entered the building, terrifying everyone inside it as he prepared to use Hyper Beam yet again. Team Rocket's members disappeared into their underground entrance with hopes of trying to escape from the Champion and his companions.

As they gathered around the underground entrance, Lance urged caution as he recalled Dragonite and disappeared into the depths first. Brendon followed the Champion's lead with Lyra following not too far behind him. Gill just nodded his head, hearing Silver yelling at him for putting himself into a dangerous situation. He took the leap and arrived to the underground base of Team Rocket.

Lance saw two paths and decided it would best if they split up in pairs. Lyra went with Lance, while Brendon and Gill took off on their own. They hoped to reunite with each other soon, but none of them knew how that would turn out.

Right now though, they were just focusing on putting a stop to whatever it was that Team Rocket was plotting.

* * *

Brendon and Gill found themselves on their own as they investigated another corridor that wasn't touched by Lance and Lyra. The boys carefully treaded with caution as they made their way down a corridor to see that it broke off into two other parts. Gill fought the urge to growl out his frustration, while Brendon urged them to briefly split up. They broke apart to glance around the paths to see if there was anything suspicious.

Both of their paths seemed to lead somewhere so they two decided to split up for a bit longer.

Gill kept his guard up as he stayed close to the wall so that he could peer around in case somebody showed up to attack him. So far they had yet to be attacked by Grunts, but earlier they heard fighting along the corridor that Lyra and Lance took off to. He would've worried about his sister, but knew that she was safe with the Champion by her side.

Right now though, he focused more on keeping himself safe. Gill learned that his path was a dead-end as he saw a Grunt and a man in a labcoat at a computer. The boy gulped, worrying that he might have stumbled upon somewhere that he really shouldn't be. As he turned to sneak back away, he heard someone shouting at him. It looked like he got busted sooner than he had expected, he spun back around to see the Grunt and scientist chase after him.

"Shit," Gill said to himself. He took out a Pokéball and released the Pokémon he had contained inside of it. "Dratini, I want you to use Thunder Wave! Keep them from coming after me." His Dragon-type emerged from her Pokéball and immediately followed her Trainer's command. Her white ears began to spark with electricity as she used her Thunder Wave to paralyze Team Rocket's lackeys and was soon recalled into her Pokéball.

With a sigh of relief, Gill ran back towards the exit just in time to catch up with Brendon. The older boy saw the worried look on Gill's face was enough to alert them to trouble. Brendon took hold of Gill's hand, going down the path he had gone through. He briefly told Gill that he found a staircase that led to the next floor.

The boys ran along the path as the alarm began to go off above them. Red lights began to flash across the corridors with the boys' footsteps being drowned out by the alarm. They didn't stop running though until they finally made it up the staircase to get out of the basement.

Brendon and Gill made it out of there only to hear battling on this floor as well. They took off running again, this time towards the fighting. As they got closer, they saw Lance and Lyra battling against a couple of Grunts. Dragonite and Bayleaf were fighting together to stave off the mini invasion of Team Rocket's "finest".

Brendon immediately called out for his Lairon to help the cause. His Hoenn native Pokémon alarmed the Grunts, and was all the more frightening when he used Roar to spoke the Grunts' Pokémon. That's when Lyra's Bayleaf went after them with her Razor Leaf, which brought them down a couple of notches.

Gill released his Eevee this time and had him use Shadow Ball against them. Eevee opened his mouth to gather this shadow energy before firing his Ghost-type attack at the Grunts and their Pokémon. It did the job by creating a nice distraction and even took a couple of them down in the process.

Lance gathered the Trainers around him, while their Pokémon continued to fight. The Dragon Master pointed at the sealed off door that was behind him and Lyra. "I interrogated a couple of Grunts, they say that this is the control room," said the Champion. "Team Rocket is behind what's happening at the Lake of Rage and Mahogany Town. They are forcing evolution at the lake with sound waves, which have consequentially created this illness that's made the Pokémon here sick."

"We have to get in there then," said Gill.

"It's too heavily sealed off to be broken by even my Dragnite's Hyper Beam," said Lance. "We will need the passcode. It has to be somewhere around the base, possibly in the care of one of the higher up members." He turned his head to the boys and gave a steady stare at them both. "Brendon and Gill, do you think you're up for the job? I'll stay here with Lyra to keep the Grunts back, while you two search the next floor."

"You can count on us, Champion," said Brendon. "Isn't that right, Gill?"

"That's a heck yeah!" Gill said, happily.

Lance nodded his head, smiling as he turned his attention back to the battle. Lyra wished her brother and boyfriend luck as she rejoined the battle with Lance. She released her Azumarill to help put a stop to the dozens of Grunts that were on the offensive.

Brendon and Gill recalled their Pokémon then took off running to the nearest set of stairs that they could find that led up.

* * *

There was no way that they actually expected this job to be an easy one was massive understatement. Brendon and Gill succeeded in finding a computer room, which they figured would hold some information on the passcode that they needed. Brendon was better at computers so he got to work on trying to break into Team Rocket's system, while Gill stayed watch. His endeavors proved to be useless though since Team Rocket kept nothing of use in the system, which only infuriated Brendon.

Brendon rejoined Gill and they resumed walking around the second floor of the Team Rocket Headquarters. Marshtomp and Pidgeotto were ready in case a battle might have broken out while the boys had their backs turned. It turned out to be an excellent idea because they wandered it a lounge-like area where a dozen Team Rocket members stood.

Quickly enough, a battle broke out between the boys and Team Rocket. The Grunts sent out mainly Zubat and Ratatta after the Trainers. Brendon and Marshtomp kept most of the Grunts back with a strong Water Gun, while Gill had Pidgeotto brush the others aside with his Wing Attack. Gill also sent out Golbat to use Supersonic to disorient the Grunts into submission, which proved a little more difficult than in theory.

Their fight kept going for a while but the boys kept going strong.

A pair of Grunts snuck up behind Gill though with gleeful looks in their eyes. They released their Pokémon and commanded them to attack the Trainer. Unfortunately for them, Gill had felt their present before and was already armed for the situation. He quickly spun around, sending Quilava out to use Flame Wheel against them. The minute Quilava escaped the Pokéball, he consumed himself in a wheel of fire to knock all of the Grunts and their Pokémon out of the way.

It was like a game of bowling, which Gill found hilarious as Quilava returned to his side. Brendon gave out a loud yell that soon caught the others attention. The last of the Grunts and their Pokémon collapsed to the ground, no longer able to keep battling against them.

"Sweet!" Gill said, joining Brendon's side. "Now, which one of you is going to tell us what the passcode is?"

"You think we'd know it?" said a Grunt. "Only the Executives have the privilege to that information. You'll have to navigate around the walls though to reach them though."

Brendon and Gill recalled all of their Pokémon then took off running to find even more stairs.

* * *

It took a few minutes, but they found a staircase that led down, which they quickly stumbled down. Gill closely followed Brendon's lead as he put himself in front to take any hostile attacks that might come their way. They had to brace themselves for the worst if they were going to make it out of here in one piece.

Gill wished that had been as easy as the Slowpoke Well was. All he had to do was just beat up a few Grunts then Team Rocket went away. Nothing so complicated like finding a damn passcode and shutting down their power source. He wondered how the Kanto Champion handled taking down Team Rocket, since the Champion was only a kid when he overcame Team Rocket the last time. Then again, Gill was still just a kid and the son of a Champion, he was capable enough to do this.

The boys wandered deeper into the headquarters, finding another set of stairs that went up.

Gill gave out a frustrated sigh as he slid down to the ground. He was so tired from climbing all of these stairs, he didn't know if he had it in him to keep on doing this. Finally though, Gill pulled himself back together and jumped on his feet when they heard a boom shake the floor. Gill nearly crashed into Brendon before the floor stopped shaking. They both looked back to see an unconscious Voltorb with a small group of Grunts chasing after them.

"Exactly what we need," Gill said, straightening himself up.

"We can take them," said Brendon.

They were about to attack when suddenly, the Grunts were hit with some chilling wind. This surprised the Trainers, but it was probably more surprising for the freezing Grunts. A Sneasal jumped from above the half-frozen Grunts with a prideful smirk on his face. Gill quickly recognized the Pokémon and knew that his Trainer wouldn't be too far.

As he expected, Silver came walking from behind the Grunts. He began to clap his hands together with a soft smirk on his face. "Nice going, Gill," said Silver. "I'm impressed that you did all of that damage to Team Rocket. Here I was thinking I'd have to save your skin."

"Well, you technically did just now," said Gill.

"But this rescue was unnecessary," said Silver. "This was just a force of habit."

"I hate to break this up," Brendon said, jumping in the way, "but we have a Team Rocket to take down. Lance is waiting for us, Gill. We have to get the passcode."

Gill nodded his head as Brendon led the way up the stairs. The boy stayed back for a moment and looked over to Silver who now had the Grunts frightened by his presence. As they started to melt a little, the Grunts ran away before they could get themselves frozen again.

Silver sighed deeply before turning back to Gill. He had a smirk on his face now as he shooed the boy off. "Go play Hero, Gill," said Silver. "I was going to use my Gyarados to take care of Team Rocket, but it would be more fun to see you do that. Try not to get yourself killed, you know how I've grown accustomed to your face."

As romantic as that sounded, Gill could only find himself rolling his eyes before running after Brendon, while Silver left the building.

The Hoenn native was waiting for him on the next floor. Gill quickly made it to see that they were now in an office that had a Murkrow perched on the desk that was cawing at them. There was a man sitting at the desk, looking like he had been waiting for them. He wore an all-black suit with the Team Rocket symbol on the left pocket of his suit. His brown hair was cut a bit short and brushed back to give him the crime boss swoop.

The man rose up from his desk with a smile gracing his lips. He began to walk towards the Trainers, amused by their presence in his office. "Well, I am surprised that you made it this far," laughed the man. "Then again, I suppose that the Champion wouldn't bring a bunch of children unless he was certain of their skill."

"And who are you supposed to be?" Brendon asked, taking a defensive stance.

"I am Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket!" shouted the man. "And I won't allow anymore brats interfere with my plans!"

Gill took one look at the man and started to laugh. He was laughing hard too, he didn't even bother to cover the look on his face either. Giovanni began to yell at the boy, but it only made Gill laugh harder at him. "Your face is fake!" Gill finally told him. He regained his composure to explain himself as he pointed at the man's face. "You're wearing a mask! You are not the real Giovanni!"

Brendon took a look at him, wondering if what Gill said was true.

Finally, the man growled with frustration as he tore the mask off his face. He ripped off the suit while he was at it too, revealing his true appearance to the Trainers. "Damn, and here I thought I was the master of disguise too!" said the man. He had purple hair that he had curled upward. He wore an almost, typical Team Rocket uniform only his bore red lines at the front. His belt contained a few vials and Pokéballs strapped to it. "You're pretty good, kid. I have to give you points for that. I'm Petrel, an Executive of Team Rocket."

"So you're the boss of this operation then," said Brendon. "It doesn't matter. I can beat you."

"I don't want to fight you, tall brat," said Petrel. "I want to fight the short brat." He turned his eyes on Gill with a devious smirk on his face. He took a Pokéball from his belt, releasing a Koffing in the process. "You're the one who screwed up our plans in Azalea Town. I saw your picture in Proton's report. I just have to know how someone as strong as Proton could lose to a little brat like you."

"You'll find out soon enough then," said Gill. "I choose you, Quilava!"

Gill released his Pokémon and their battle soon began. Gill fought another Rocket Executive with a joyful smile on his face as he unleashed everything his Pokémon had.

Quilava dodged the vicious Smog that Koffing would throw out at him. He did a lot of jumping around on the furniture of the office, which didn't seem to bother Petrel at all. The Executive was about to issue Koffing to use Self-Destruct when Gill decided to cut the game short. Quilava used Ember to burn Koffing down with a single hit just before he could go boom.

With one Pokémon down, Petrel sent out a Zubat next. Gill tried to take his opponent down just as quickly, but he failed though when Zubat used Confuse Ray. The ghostly blast quickly disoriented Quilava into a submission. Gill bit his bottom lip before deciding to send out Golbat next. He knew that the evolved form should be enough to take care of Zubat.

Gill was right too.

Golbat charged after the Zubat and easily smacked it down with a single Wing Attack.

Petrel sent out his final Pokémon, which turned out to be a Raticate. The large mouse took care of Golbat's speed advantage with a Scary Face. Raticate used his best Scary Face too to leave Golbat completely startled by his opponent. Petrel took advantage of this as he had Raticate use Hyper Fang against him. Golbat growled with pain as he fought to get Raticate off of him.

Eventually, the rat loosened himself from his bat-like opponent. Golbat's wing flapping had gotten a little weaker from the damage he took, but Gill encouraged the Pokémon to the best of his abilities. Golbat easily absorbed the boy's words of encouragement and charged after Raticate once again. This time, he sunk his fangs into Raticate to use Leech Life. He quickly sucked out some of the health from Raticate, using it to heal himself. Golbat relinquished the Raticate then took him down by smacking him with Wing Attack.

Petrel was completely wide-eyed to see that he had been beaten so easily.

"Wow…strong," whispered Petrel. "Fine, short brat, you win. Giovanni, forgive me." The executive recalled his last Pokémon and took out one of his vials. He dangled it around his hands as he locked glares with Gill and Brendon. "The passcode to the generator is Hail Giovanni. I'm assuming that's why you're here to stop the radio-transmission. You have the passcode, but it won't do you any good. It only opens with my voice. Later, kids!"

Petrel smashed the vial onto the ground, creating a smoke cloud that gave him the opportunity to get away.

Gill and Brendon coughed up a storm before the cloud finally cleared up. By the time that happened, Petrel was long gone. The only good thing was that they knew the passcode, but the bad news was that they had no way to open it without Petrel's voice. That pissed both of the boys off before they heard the Murkrow say something.

"Hail Giovanni!" the Murkrow said, mimicking Petrel's voice.

Brendon and Gill's eyes lit up as they dove after the Pokémon. Murkrow flapped her wings and flew away from the Trainers. She continued to mimic Petrel's voice as she flew away from the Trainers who had regained their composure. They resumed their chase after the Flying-type, hoping to chase her towards the generator room.

* * *

It was a long chase, but Brendon and Gill managed to get the Murkrow to the first floor.

The Flying-type seemed to be having a field day as she had the boys chasing around after her. They climbed bookcases and everything to try to get that damn bird. Murkrow kept flying around though, getting further and further away from them both. She finally made it to the first floor though and was flying in the direction of Lance, continuing to spout out "Hail Giovanni".

Brendon and Gill were exhausted as they finally made it to the area that Lance and Lyra were last seen. By now, all of the Grunts had been which made it easy for Lance to take hold of the Murkrow. The Pokémon spouted out "Hail Giovanni" one more time, which activated a clicking sound that unlocked the door to the generator. The door pushed itself open, giving the Champion and the Trainers the opportunity to shut Team Rocket down.

Celebrating their victory a little early, Lance began to make his way into the generator room when the Murkrow pecked him. The Champion was startled by the sharp pain in his hand as the Murkrow freed herself and flew away. Everyone looked to see where she was flying to when she perched herself on the arm of a woman.

A red headed woman dressed in white appeared with a Grunt at her side. She was laughing while her precious Murkrow laughed alongside her. The white uniform she wore had a long skirt at the end that had a gash to show off part of her leg. Golden earrings dangled from her ears as well. Team Rocket's symbol appeared on the uniform, which could only mean one thing.

"There's more of you," Lance said, angrily.

"I am Arianna, Champion and friends," said the woman. "I am a Team Rocket Executive. I will not allow you to interfere unpunished! This is the end of the line for you. Grunt, help me defeat the Champion and his friends!"

"Yes ma'am!" said the Grunt.

They sent their Pokémon out, unleashing them for battle. Arianna sent out her Gloom into battle, while the Grunt sent slimy Grimer. Their poisonous Pokémon released toxic fumes that would've surely been the end of them. Gill responded quickly by sending his Pidgeotto out to help them out with a Gust. Pidgeotto was able to push the fumes away, keeping them all from suffering from poison.

Lance smirked from Gill's quick thinking as he joined the boy's side. Dragonite made his way over to the Pidgeotto, appearing ready to battle as well. Lance turned his head to the side a little to show off the smile he had on his face to Gill. "Do you mind joining me in battle?" asked the Champion. "I could use the company."

"It would be my honor, Champion," Gill spoke with a slight fear in his voice.

"Just call me Lance," said the Dragon Master.

Their battle began quickly enough. Pidgeotto flew after Arianna's Gloom while Dragonite focused his attack on the Grimer. Gloom tried to take Pidgeotto down with a blast of Acid, but Gill's Pokémon flew away. Pidgeotto went swooping down from the air with rapid speed before pulling up only slightly to deliver a powerful blow against the Gloom. Gill began to smile as he scanned this move to see that his Pidgeotto had learned Aerial Ace. Dragonite made quick work of the Grimer though as he used Flamethrower to finish him off with a single blow.

The Grunt sent out a Drowzee next, while Arianna unleashed her Murkrow and another Pokémon. The Pokémon that the Executive chose was a ferocious Arbok. The giant, purple, venomous snake hissed at Lance and Gill as she appeared on the battlefield. Lance had no fear though as he had his Dragonite take all three of them down at once. Dragonite called forth a powerful Thunder that zapped all three Pokémon into submission despite lacking a type advantage against two out of the three.

The remarkable power behind Lance and his Pokémon left Gill amazed yet frightened.

With their Pokémon defeated, Arianna had no choice but to surrender for now. She did so gracefully though as she recalled her Pokémon then turned to make her leave. "It doesn't matter that you won this battle," said the Executive. "Our experiment was a success. This isn't that last that you'll hear of Team Rocket, I guarantee that!"

Like Petrel before her, Arianna released a smoke bomb to grant her an easy getaway.

Lance scolded himself for not anticipating that soon, but remembered his mission came first. He ran into the generator room and quickly shutdown the power source so that no more Pokémon had to suffer from Team Rocket. There was plenty of noise from there, which made the Trainers worry for Lance's safety until he finally remerged.

The Champion remained silent as he started to exit the headquarters. Gill and his companions followed Lance out of the building, grateful to get out of there and away from Team Rocket.

Once they were outside, Lance let out a deep sigh.

"This is far from over, but at least Johto is a little safer for now," said Lance. He turned to the others and smiled at them all. "Thank you all for your help. This would've been far more difficult for me without your assistance." He dug his hand into his pocket before retrieving a deep, blue disc. He went over to Gill, handing it over to him. "Whirlpool, it's an HM move so use it wisely. The attack creates and removes whirlpools so it will be most helpful when out in the ocean."

"Thank you, Lance," Gill said, putting the disc into his back.

"Like I said before, it's I who should be thanking all of you," said the Champion. "Lyra, it was a pleasure having you fight those Grunts alongside me. You are a beautiful and talented Trainer." Lyra began to blush, which kind of made Brendon made but he held it in. Lance couldn't help but to smirk at this as he looked over at Brendon. "Thank you for all your help too, Brendon. You have a lot of power and control, which is something I greatly respect." Brendon couldn't help but to smile and forget the anger he had towards the Champion thanks to the compliment.

Lance turned his sights on Gill next. Gill looked a little nervous as he braced himself for what the Dragon Master had to say. Lance walked up to Gill and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Now you though, Gill, I see remarkable potential," said the Champion. "It has been a long time since I've seen a Trainer of your skill at such a young age. Even when I battled against your father, he didn't have half this natural talent that you have. In fact, the last Trainer I saw with such potential was the Hero and Champion of Kanto, Red Ketchum."

Gill smiled and blushed furiously from such a great compliment from someone like Lance.

"I cannot wait until the day we battle, Gill Hart," said Lance. "Your sister told me that you need only two more Badges until you can challenge the Elite Four. When that day comes, I will be waiting for you at the Indigo Plateau. I will see you soon, I hope. Farewell, my friends."

With that said and Mahogany Town saved, Lance took off flying on his Dragonite.

The others watched as the Dragon Master disappeared into the skies and just knew this would possibly be the most memorable day of their young lives.


	19. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: **So this will be my final update. I'm going on vacation Wednesday and will be gone for about two weeks. Here is a lovely lemon and a lovely chapter for you. Enjoy the update. Read and review.**  
**

**Chapter Eighteen:**

After Team Rocket got kicked out of Mahogany Town, Gill spent that next week training for his upcoming Gym Battle. Gill went down into a shutdown mode as he focused solely on making his Pokémon strong enough to survive their battle against the Mahogany Town Gym Leader. He heard many things about the frigid Gym Leader with the most important being that he was an Ice-type specialist.

Gill knew that half of his team would be at a severe disadvantage just from type weaknesses. He did have one major powerhouse he could use to wipe the floor with them, but most of his other Pokémon would easily be frozen. Quilava would be his saving grace for the Gym Battle, all of his faith was going into the Pokémon entrusted to him by Professor Elm. Sure though, Gill believed in the rest of his Pokémon, but it was going to take severe training to make them strong enough.

Originally, Gill wanted to train in the Ice Cave by Mahogany Town. However, that didn't happen since the cave had been sealed off due to the Pokémon inside of the cave become exceptionally hostile. It was deemed too dangerous for anyone to go into the cave until the Pokémon calmed down to where it was safe for travelers again. So Gill stayed away only because Lyra and Brendon warned him it would be dangerous to put himself in that type of situation.

So to make up for that, their training took place in Mt. Mortar.

And leave it to Gill too find trouble on a mountain. Gill had wandered as deep as he could into the mountain where he found a quite place to train. For days, he worked with his Pokémon to make them stronger in that secluded spot before he was so rudely interrupted on his last day of training.

"You want a real challenge, kid?" said a rough voice. Gill stopped his Pokémon from battling one another as he turned to face the mystery person in the mountain. His Pokémon were ready to defend him as a scruffy looking man in a martial arts suit came up to them. "I'm Black Belt Kiyo. I'm from the Kanto Region."

"And what are you doing here?" asked Gill. "You're a long way away from Kanto."

"I know," Kiyo said, laughing. "I'm here to train actually. I've been watching you and I've been thinking you'd be a worthy foe for me to battle. So what do you say, will you battle me in a two-on-two match?"

Why not? It would be good practice before his big battle.

So that's what got Gill into his current predicament.

Their battle began without too much trouble. Gill had sent his Dratini out to battle against Kiyo's Hitmonlee. Dratini had been backed into a corner though and things weren't looking good at all for her since she already took a lot of damage. Hitmonlee's constant Double Kick had left an impression on her, and it wasn't a good one.

Dratini was painting now, which wasn't good at all in Gill's book. He worried for his Pokémon as he thought of just using a suicide move just to put some damage on Hitmonlee. That's what he would do, it was his best bet. He'd have her use Dragon Rage from close range just to end this nightmare of a situation with some dignity on their part.

But just when Gill was about to issue the command, Hitmonlee went in for the kill. He soon brought his foot down on Dratini's head to put an end to her. It was then that the small orb on Dratini's forehead began to glow until she was consumed by a strong glow as well. The light pushed outward, forcing Hitmonlee to retreat for a moment as the evolution took place.

Gill's jaw dropped to the ground, practically as he saw Dratini evolve into Dragonair. He didn't need a Pokédex to tell him about this. He remembered when his dad's Dragonite used to be a Dragonair. Gill admired the stunning beauty of Dragonair as she struck the ground with her tail and gave out an impressionable war cry.

Now that the space was open, Gill smiled as he told Dragonair to use Dragon Rage. She responded to his command with joy. The jewels on her neck and tail began to shine as she gathered her power for the final attack. Hitmonlee and Kiyo were perfectly still as she unleashed her attack. A powerful spray of draconic fire escaped Dragonair, taking down Hitmonlee with one, powerful hit.

One Pokémon down and only one more to go.

Gill recalled his newly evolved Dragonair since he was well aware that the battle and evolving took its toll on her. He decided to send his Pidgeotto next since his faithful bird needed some training as well. Kiyo then sent out his Hitmonchan to do battle with the boy from New Bark Town.

Pidgeotto had the type advantage which was a major plus. Hitmonchan did everything he could to race over to Pidgeotto, throwing his fists at the Flying-type. Pidgeotto would fly away from each attack though, dodging it with his winged grace. It was almost too easy that Gill felt bad for dragging the fight out for so long.

However, Gill once more found himself surprised by Kiyo and his Pokémon. Hitmonchan swung his fists around as he gathered a bolt of thunder within the red glove. Using Thunder Punch, Hitmonchan released the attack to shock Pidgeotto with its raw power. Hitmonchan then blew on his glove to use Ice Punch next and delivered the frigid blow as Pidgeotto was falling down from the sky. That attack was nearly enough to put Pidgeotto down, which horrified Gill as he saw just how much damage he took with just two attacks.

Pidgeotto was determined though. He quickly used Roost to recover some of his depleted strength so that he could keep on battling. The Flying-type got back on his talons and flew at Hitmonchan to use Aerial Ace against him. But as Pidgeotto was going in for the kill, Hitmonchan used Thunder Punch once more to do some damage as the Fighting-type took the nasty blow head on.

Gill turned his head away, knowing that Pidgeotto was as good as done now. It was just too cruel to watch, but he heard Kiyo yelling. Gill looked back to see that Pidgeotto was struggling to stand along with Hitmonchan. That simply amazed Gill that his Pokémon was so determined to keep on fighting that he failed to see that Pidgeotto took was beginning to evolve.

Two Pokémon evolving in the same battle! It wasn't unheard of, but it was a rare occurrence. It was highly unlikely that a Trainer would have two or more Pokémon evolve during the same battle. Gill and Kiyo were both surprised by this development as Pidgeotto evolved to his final stage.

Pidgeot was double the size of Pidgeotto and twice as powerful. Pidgeot gave out a ferocious cry that made everyone's ears hurt. Even Gill wasn't spared from his Pokémon's mercy. Pidgeot flapped his mighty wings as he took flight. He soon disappeared into the high ceiling of the mountain before coming back down to finish off Hitmonchan.

Hitmonchan tried to by himself some time by using Ice Punch against Pidgeot. It seemed to help some, but it wasn't enough to put an end to the match. Pidgeot took the damage, but he came back swinging as he knocked Hitmonchan out with a mighty Aerial Ace.

The match was over and Gill won without any question.

"It looks like all that training paid off," Gill said, smiling as he ran over to Pidgeot. "You and Dragonair both evolved. This is a good sign. I might be able to defeat Pryce after all!"

Pidgeot seemed to agree as he wrapped his gigantic wings around his Trainer.

The two seemed to laugh as Kiyo approached the boy, defeated. A frown was on the man's face, but he soon recovered and retrieved something to give to the boy. "My training was not enough, it seems," said Kiyo. "A loss is a loss though. I want you to have this as proof of defeating me. I give you this rare Fighting Pokémon."

Kiyo took a Pokéball out from his pocket and handed it over to Gill. The boy looked at it for a moment until his Pokédex began to beep and the Pokéball disappeared from sight. Kiyo wasn't surprised at all by this, while Gill was freaking out more.

"It simply means you have a full team with you, Trainer," laughed Kiyo. "I suppose you never caught an extra Pokémon. Well, anyways, the Pokémon I gave you is called Tyrogue. It is a unique Baby Pokémon who can evolve into three different Pokémon depending on his strength and defense. You'll see what I mean soon enough. Train him well, I'm sure he'll be helpful in your future battles."

"Thanks," Gill said, still surprised by everything that happened just now. "It was pleasure battling you, Kiyo. I hope to do this again sometime."

Kiyo agreed as he took off to resume his training.

Gill decided to return to town so he left with his Pidgeot following behind him.

* * *

At the Pokémon Center, Gill sat alone by the transport area as he thought about just who he should trade in favor of Tyrogue. It felt so strange to even think about this since he had made it all this way without trading any of his Pokémon. He felt bad for even thinking about doing this to one of his Pokémon. They were a team! They made it all the way here together.

He soon lost himself in thought as he tried to think of who would be best. He took out each of his Pokéballs, releasing each of his Pokémon so he could look at them one last time. They all seemed so happy to see Gill, which made this all the more difficult for him to do.

"We have a new teammate," Gill told them. "The problem is, I have to send one of you to my home so I can have him traveling with me. I hate even thinking about doing this to anyone of you, but I need to make a good impression with this little guy. I hope none of you will be too mad at me."

The Pokémon only nodded their heads as they waited for Gill to make a decision. They could tell that this was difficult for him so they decided to make this a little easier on him. They talked amongst themselves, deciding which of them should go.

It was Ursaring who took a step forward. She was willing to go since she was terribly missing being around the woods and caves, something she heard that New Bark Town had plenty of. Gill saw his large, brown bear step forward like the noble creature she was. It made Gill smile as he stood up and hugged his Pokémon.

Gill could already remember the day he caught her as a Teddiursa. He was helping her get back to her family, but she decided to travel with him instead. They had a lot of good times together, she pulled off a lot of wins for him too.

"We'll battle together again, I promise," Gill told Ursaring. "Keep my parents company. I trust that you'll keep them safe just like you kept me safe."

Ursaring nodded her head as Gill recalled her into her Pokéball. He approached the Pokémon Transport and made the call home. His mother answered and went practically wild when she saw how much her son had grown. Gill cut the call short as he told his mother that he needed to switch Pokémon. She calmed down and did the switch since his Tyrogue arrived not too long ago on the Transport. Ursaring was sent to New Bark Town and Tyrogue came to Mahogany Town.

Gill ended the call, promising to call his mother after his Gym Battle. He held onto the Pokéball and turned to his other Pokémon who awaited him to release their new friend. He did just that, releasing the small Fighting-type from the Pokéball. The purple skinned Pokémon looked around, frightened by his new surroundings until Eevee went up to talk to him. Tyrogue began to calm down as he turned to Gill. The boy smiled as he lifted their new friend up into his arms, holding him carefully.

"Welcome to the team, buddy," Gill said, smiling. "Let's send you over to Nurse Joy so she can give you a quick check-up. That goes for the rest of you too."

Gill sent everyone back into their Pokéballs then left them in the care of Nurse Joy. She would make sure they were perfectly healthy and ready to go for the Gym Battle tomorrow.

So with that mess taken care of, Gill went over to the lounge where he collapsed onto the nearest couch. Everyone was pretty much gone since there was a mini-celebration going on for the town since Team Rocket was expelled. Gill didn't really feel like partying, but Lyra and Brendon took off to party the night away. The boy just rolled his eyes at his sister and her boyfriend as he rested his head on the soft cushion.

"Why aren't you celebrating with the rest of the idiots? You did save this old folks' town anyways."

It wasn't too surprising to see that Silver was here. Gill had gotten used to Silver's random appearances by now. It didn't bother him at all that he would just randomly appear from out of nowhere, in fact, it was more comforting than anything else.

Silver sat down on the couch once Gill had gotten up to make room for him. Once Silver was seated, Gill went back to lying down with his head now on Silver's lap. Instinct took over once again, Silver found himself running his fingers through Gill's pitch black hair.

"What have you been doing this past week?" asked Gill. "Anything exciting? Has your Gyarados tried to eat you yet?"

"He tried to take a few nibbles, but he learned his lesson really quick," huffed Silver. "I've been busy. I'm about to head out to Blackthorn City to get my last Gym Badge. I'm flying out there in the morning to battle Clair."

"She's a bitch when she losses," laughed Gill. "I remember when my dad defeated her. She sent him to this cave to get the Dragon Fang in order to get his Gym Badge. I thought it was so stupid, but I got my Dratini because of that. If she hadn't sent us on that stupid mission then I would've never had my Dratini. The Dragon Sages said I could be trusted raising a Dragon Pokémon. They said it was because my heart was so pure that I would raise Dratini with lots of love and care."

"Interesting," Silver said, not the slightest bit interested. "That Lance punk said something similar to me. He saw me battling those Team Rocket Grunts. He didn't approve of my training style on bit. He said I needed to be more caring to bring out their full potential. What a lot of garbage."

"Um…Silver, you are aware that Lance is a Pokémon Master and a Champion?" said Gill. "It would be a good idea to take his advice. Who knows, it might end up making you a better Trainer after all."

"I'm already the best," Silver told Gill. "Nobody can defeat me."

Gill could only roll his eyes at Silver's stupidity. It would help a lot of Silver treated his Pokémon with a lot more care, he knew it was the only thing Silver needed to be a great Trainer. He just wished that the older boy would listen to somebody else for a change.

The boy tried to think of ways to convince Silver of this when the red head's hand began to run down his back. It was a gentle touch that made Gill shiver with delight. All his thoughts seemed to disappear because of Silver's touch. There wasn't much that he did either. It was just a simple touch, but it was enough to make Gill melt.

Silver knew this and couldn't help but to smile at his handy work.

Gill finally forced himself to get up from the couch. His pants were becoming uncomfortably tight and he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of Silver. Wait a minute…Silver. Gill turned his head to the older boy who just continued to sit on the couch. Gill looked at Silver really good and just knew that it all clicked together.

Gill held his hand out to Silver, which he stared at cautiously. He began to blush as he felt really ridiculous for asking this, but damn it all. "Will you come with me to my room?" asked Gill. "I'd like it if you stayed with me."

Silver nodded his head as he took the boy's hand and followed him upstairs.

* * *

The fireworks show had just begun outside and it could be clearly seen from the room that Gill got for the night. The door was locked but the blinds were opened so that the explosions would illuminate the room. Silver and Gill just stood there for a few moments, neither one saying or doing anything. Finally though, Gill leaned in to kiss Silver with his hands on his chest. Silver soon wound his arms around Gill's waist as he returned the kiss.

Slowly, very slowly, their layers are removed from their bodies. They undressed each other until nothing was left between the two. Gill felt at ease even though he was completely exposed to Silver yet again. He felt so comfortable around Silver now that none of that mattered. He just wanted to be with him.

Gill led Silver to the small mattress. The back of his knees banged against the bed and Gill soon found himself sitting down. Silver gently pushed the boy onto his back as he pressed his body against his. The skin-to-skin contact was enough to make Gill's toes curl up as his lips met Silver once more.

The firework show going on outside began to get louder, making the room shake a little.

Silver started to lick Gill's sensitive neck. With every stroke of his tongue, it made Gill shiver and quake. Silver exploited that weakness for a moment longer before going down on the boy's body. He grazed his teeth against Gill's small, erect nipples just to tease him a little bit. Gill's fingers curled into balls as he clung onto the blanket on top of the bed. Silver kept going lower, kissing the boy's soft, smooth skin until he reached the end.

Gill's erection was hard and aching to be touched. Silver smirked as he kissed the skin around the erection, including the short dark hairs. The red head took Gill's testicles into his mouth, lapping his tongue around the sensitive privates. Gill gasped weakly from this new sensation he felt. It soon got worse when Silver shifted his attention now to the length, he easily took all of Gill into his mouth, which nearly made the boy reach his climax.

Not too soon though. Silver just did enough to make Gill want more from him, a lot more. After a while, Silver adjusted himself so that he too was hanging off the mattress with his own length rubbing against Gill's mouth. The boy took the hint and tried to take as much as Silver that he could. It was a lot for someone with no experience like him, plus Silver was fairly well-equipped. Still though, Gill couldn't deny that he liked having Silver in his mouth, and Silver enjoyed sucking on Gill as well.

The two pleasured one another with their mouths, which in fact gave them both a lot of pleasure. Silver took advantage of this position to slick his fingers a bit before he began to probe Gill's backside. The minute part of his finger tried to get in, he met a tight resistance that made Silver want to cum. Silver fought the urge though as he gently eased his finger inside of Gill to prepare him.

Gill couldn't fight the cries that spilled out from his mouth. He withered around in a mixture of pain and pleasure as a second finger tried to get inside. It was a new feeling, one that he was far from being accustomed too. Silver tried to go as easy on him as possible, but the virgin tunnel wasn't willing to break so easily.

It took them about ten minutes before Gill eased up enough to allow Silver to properly stretch him out. By then, Gill gave out pleasurable cries that signaled that he was ready. Silver rolled Gill onto his side and scooted closer so that their bodies curved against each other. He would make it as easy on Gill as he could, but there were no guarantees that it wouldn't hurt.

Silver gently eased himself inside, inch at a time. His dick met plenty of hot, tight resistance that made his skin boil over with a desire just to rip him to pieces. Silver controlled his more primal urges as he waited until Gill was completely ready for him. It was difficult though for Gill though, but he tried his hardest to relax himself as much as possible.

Silver kissed the boy's neck, hoping that would help to get him to ease up. He also stroke the boy's penis until the pre-cum followed. Gill began to calm down, but his skin was still boiling to the touch, which was a nice contrast against Silver's cooler, warm flesh. Finally though, Silver was able to put himself all the way inside of Gill and was even able to move around a little.

The short, gentle thrusts slowly began to quicken as Gill's cries got needier. Silver was more than ready to give the boy what he needed to have his release.

Gill was the first to cum as the fireworks show got louder and the colors brightly lit up the room. Gill's cries were blocked out by the color explosions as he reached his climax. His seed left the sheets stained, which neither one seemed to care as Silver reached his limit. Silver last a few minutes long, but not even he could resist the urge to cum any longer. Silver pushed himself as deep as he could, brushing against Gill's sensitive spot, and came with loud groan.

It took them both a while to recover from their sexual high, but they both pulled apart and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The sun peaked in through the open blinds to wake up the boys a little earlier than usual. Silver and Gill were determined to stay sleeping though since they were both completely exhausted. The sunlight got stronger and the room began to heat up, making the smell of musk and sex even stronger now.

Gill slowly began to open his eyes, feeling exhausted yet refreshed all at the same time. He was still on his side, on the same position that Silver completely took his virginity in. The memory of last night was very fresh in his mind and made the boy blush profusely. Gill tried to move because of the stickiness that was tried onto his skin, but his butt was protesting the movement.

He felt so worn out, but the feeling felt good and it was something he'd hope that he'd get used to someday.

What Gill do was turn his body to the side. He half-expected Silver to be gone, but Silver was still sleeping right behind him. Silver's mouth hung open only a bit and he seemed very much at peace. Gill scooted closer towards Silver and soon found the red head wrapping his arms around him. Gill felt very much at ease in Silver's arms with their naked bodies against each other. It was so much so that Gill soon found himself falling asleep again.

After another hour passed, Gill woke up once more to see that Silver was awake as well.

"Hi," Gill said, weakly.

"Hey," said Silver.

Silver ran his hand against Gill's soft face. His warm hand touched the gentle flesh which made Gill smile as he curled against Silver. The red head couldn't help but to feel his insides turning into mush at this point. He kept his arms secured around Gill, never wanting to let the boy go even for a second.

It was then that Silver realized just how screwed he was now.

Things would never be the same…Silver was treading uncharted territory and that terrified him.

Some time passed, but they both knew they had things to do. Silver held onto Gill's hand as they went over to the shower to clean themselves up. Silver had to help Gill since the boy was still a little weak from losing his virginity last night. He made sure to get him nice and clean so he'd be at least presentable for his Gym Battle today.

When they finished, Silver and Gill stood in the shower, holding onto one another. Gill slowly began to feel his strength returning, but knew he'd desperately need something to eat. He kissed Silver one last time before stepping out of the shower to get dressed. Silver followed behind him with his eyes zoomed in on the boy's adorable backside.

After a few more minutes, they were both ready to go.

They kissed once more before going their separate ways.

Gill went to get his Pokémon so he could compete at the Mahogany Gym, while Silver left for Blackthorn City.

* * *

For once, Lyra and Brendon decided to follow Gill for his Gym Battle. The Gym was only down the road from the Pokémon Center so it took almost no time at all to get there. The Trainers hurried over to the Gym so that Gill could obtain his seventh Gym Badge, brining him one step closer to challenging the Indigo Plateau.

Still reeling from last night's excitement, Gill almost considered giving it another day. His backside wanted another day to recover, but his mind was desperate to kick some Gym Leader bootie. The limp he had was a dead giveaway that something happened to him last night. Brendon and Lyra tried to get some answers out of him, Gill made up an excuse that he got hurt while training.

Like they'd believe that story, but they let it slide just this once.

Gill entered the Gym with a soft sigh escaping him. He started to make his approach with his companions following behind him.

The Mahogany Gym was absolutely freezing! Gill already had the shivers as he took only a few steps inside, which made him wonder how his poor Pokémon would perform during their match. Gill knew he'd be in trouble if his Pokémon got too cold that would've made them all the more vulnerable to Pryce's Ice-type attacks.

An old man was already waiting for Gill with a referee in position. The old man stood at the end of the arena in a thick, blue coat that went down to his knees. A white scarf was wrapped round his neck that went with the brown slacks and white shirt he wore. He had a silver colored cane that helped to keep him standing up since his old age was beginning to catch up to him.

"I heard that I would have a challenger today," said the old man. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Pryce, the Mahogany Town Gym Leader. "

Gill bowed slightly as he took his place on the arena. Lyra and Brendon stayed back, keeping their distance from the partly frozen arena. The boy took a Pokéball and held onto it as he grew ready for battle. "My name is Gill Hart," said the boy. "I am from New Bark Town. I've come here to battle you, Pryce, and obtain my seventh Gym Badge."

"Well, good luck to you then, Gill," said Pryce. "We shall have a three-on-three match, no substitutions per the rules of the Pokémon League. Be warned, boy, I have been training Pokémon since before you were born. I do not lose easily."

The match began as Pryce released his first Pokémon. The Pokémon that he selected was a Seel, a Water-type Pokémon. Gill knew that the Gym Leader was luring him into a trap, but nonetheless he was ready for anything. The boy released his Eevee who was just itching to battle the minute he set foot on the arena.

Pryce and Seel wasted no time in attacking their challenger. Seel blew out an Icy Wind from his fanged mouth that would've frozen Eevee had he not already sprang to action. Eevee managed to dodge the attack by using his speed to his advantage. Gill had him use Quick Attack, which succeeded in getting in some damage. Eevee knocked Seel back, who slid across the iced ground in the process.

The Gym Leader was far from being impressed though. Pryce struck by having Seel call forth Hail to show no mercy to Gill's Eevee. The frigid storm that blew in struck Eevee down, leaving its mark on him. Eevee quickly recovered though since it did not want to disappoint his Trainer. Gill felt Eevee's fighting spirit and took advantage of that as he had him use Bite.

Eevee charged over the iced ground, while Seel whipped up a second round of Hail. Eevee managed to attack before Hail could leave its mark on him though. He sank his teeth into Seel's paw, doing a decent amount of damage on the Water-type. Gill knew he had it in the bag now as he called for a Shadow Ball. Eevee gathered the ghostly energy then released the concentrated attack at the Seel to end the match.

Seel fell face first to the ground, no longer able to battle.

"Seel has been defeated," said the referee. "Trainer Gill wins the round. Leader Pryce, please send out your next Pokémon."

Pryce huffed, still not seeing the boy as a worthy challenge. He took out a second Pokéball that he soon released to battle Gill's Eevee. The Pokémon that came out next was Dewgong, the evolved form of Seel with a secondary Ice-type. Now things were about to get very interesting, in Gill's book at least.

Dewgong would be a lot harder to kill, despite being an easier target. Dewgong's speed was lower than Seel's, but he made up for it with his attack power and larger variety of Ice-type attacks.

"Aurora Beam!" shouted Pryce.

Gill knew what was coming as he shouted at Eevee to dodge. Dewgong quickly released a blast of freezing color that picked up speed. The attack created larger bits of ice on the ground, which Eevee was soon finding a hard time getting away from. He managed to survive this attack though as he escaped for a clearer spot.

Eevee tried to make up for that embarrassment by using Quick Attack. He left his impression on Dewgong, but it was hardly strong enough to take the evolved Pokémon down. Gill knew this would be a difficult match for Eevee to win, but he had faith that Eevee might able to pull this off.

Dewgong didn't want to give Eevee that chance though as he used Ice Shard against him. Creating a frozen chunk of ice, Dewgong fired the attack at Eevee. The attack hit its target, sending Eevee flying across the arena. Gill cried out for his Pokémon as he received a rather rough landing. It was a struggle, but Eevee managed to find the will to get back on his feet.

"Shadow Ball!" Gill shouted, hoping to turn the tides.

"Aurora Beam," said Pryce.

Eevee tried to gather all the power he could on time, but it wasn't fast enough. Dewgong unleashed his Aurora Beam faster than Eevee could use Shadow Ball. The colorful, freezing blast took down the last of Eevee's fighting spirit with the Shadow Ball exploding in the process.

Eevee was easily blown away where he landed only a foot away from where Gill was standing.

With a disappointed frown, Gill sent Eevee back into his Pokéball.

Gill glared at Pryce and his Dewgong where he decided to send out the big guns. He released Quilava who was more than ready to battle. Quilava spat out fire from his mouth as he raised himself up to fight the Dewgong.

Pryce was disappointed by the boy's boldness, but had to give him some credit at least. He told Dewgong to use Water Gun to put the boy and his Pokémon out of their misery. Gill wasn't about to have it end that way though. Quilava dodged the blast of water and countered with a Quick Attack. As he inched closer to Dewgong, Quilava switched it up by using Flame Wheel. Using the speed given to him by the two attacks, Quilava gained a lot more power which Gill hoped would be enough to put Dewgong down.

As Dewgong tried to stop him with a Water Gun, there was a loud crash. Quilava collided with Dewgong which made Gill stop as he waited to see the results of the attack. Dewgong and Quilava were both flying in the air with Pryce and Gill anxiously awaiting the results. Dewgong was the first to land with Quilava right behind him. They both slid on the ice, but only one was still standing.

And the match went to Quilava!

"Dewgong is unable to battle!" said the referee. "Trainer Gill wins the match. Leader Pryce, send out your final Pokémon."

Pryce began to smirk as he grabbed his final Pokémon. Now, he finally had some respect for the boy that challenged him today. "Humph…you are quite the Trainer," said the Gym Leader. "Willow is my middle name though. Willow is flexible and not easily broken. I'm not giving up yet! End this, Piloswine!"

The Pokémon that came out next was a mini-giant. Piloswine was a fury mess with large tusks and a pink nose. He gave out a loud war-cry that made Gill just a tad nervous. Quilava wasn't about to surrender yet, even as Gill saw that Piloswine was also part Ground-type. That wouldn't be good. Ground-type attacks had a tendency to attack at a wide range, which wouldn't be good for his vulnerable Quilava.

What Gill hoped to be the final match soon began.

Piloswine kept it easy by using Ice Shard against them. The swine created a giant block of ice that it smashed with his tusks. The resulting attack send dozens of shards that crackled against Quilava's skin. This slowed Quilava down a bit who was going to use Quick Attack to assets the power of the Piloswine for Gill. It looked like Ice Shard was proof enough that Piloswine had a high attack power.

Quilava was still standing though with a smile on his face too. Gill had him use Flame Wheel next to exploit the weakness of their opponent. Quilava rolled around with his flames consuming his body as he attempted to crush Piloswine with a single hit. When Quilava met Piloswine's tusk though, he was significantly slowed down as Piloswine held the Fire-type back. The attack burned against him, but Piloswine found the strength to keep on going.

"Now, Piloswine, use Blizzard!"

Gill knew that this was about to get very bad.

Piloswine opened his mouth to spew out a storm of frigid air at Quilava. The Flame Wheel wasn't strong enough to burn through the significantly powerful Blizzard that blew in. Quilava was pushed away from Piloswine until the Blizzard snuffed out the rest of the flames. However, that wasn't all that Blizzard did. Piloswine's attack also left Quilava in a frozen state as the ice completely encased his body.

Gill looked on in horror as he saw that not even Quilava's flames could burn through. Brendon and Lyra appeared to be equally amazed, while Pryce only hid a smirk. Piloswine gave out a deep roar as he gathered a muddy ball in front of his tusks. The attack used next would be Mud Bomb, which would put an end to Quilava. Gill's best chance at winning the Gym Battle was about to be beaten so that meant he'd have to rely on one of his other Pokémon.

However, before Piloswine could attack, Quilava's flames began to grow once more. The fire grew wide until it became completely wild and consumed Quilava with their intense heat. Gill almost thought that Quilava's ability Blaze had kicked in, but he saw that it was a little more than just a Pokémon ability. The fire grew intense, but Quilava was also changing in the process.

With the fire growing larger, Quilava evolved during this process as well. Gill was in complete shock as he saw another one of his Pokémon evolve in less than a twenty-four hour period. Scanning this new Pokémon, Gill learned that Quilava evolved into his final stage, Typhlosion!

Typhlosion released powerful flames from his back as Blaze kicked in with extra power. The evolution had gave Gill all the strength he needed to put an end to this match. Gill smiled as he congratulated his Typhlosion on this evolution. The pair used this new power to finish off Pryce and his Piloswine.

Typhlosion unleashed the intense flames as he performed a new move in the process. The move was called Lava Plume. Typhlosion caused the fire to erupt from the icy ground, creating a smoggy air in the process that struck all around Piloswine. The attack left its mark as it burned Piloswine and drained him of the rest of his health with its fiery might.

Piloswine completely fell to the ground with the last of his strength gone.

"Leader Pryce has been defeated!" shouted the referee. "Trainer Gill, you have won the Gym Battle."

Gill took off running on the ice arena and threw himself at his Typhlosion. His fiery teammate hugged him back as he gave out a mighty roar. Gill proudly cheered himself and Typhlosion on, while Lyra cheered rather loudly.

Pryce humbly bowed down to his challenger. He slowly made his way around the ice since he did not want to slip over it. Gill met the Gym Leader halfway because it would've been very rude to make him walk all that way.

"I am impressed by your prowess," said Pryce. "With your strong will, I know you will overcome all of life's obstacles. You are worthy of this badge." He took out the Gym Badge from the pocket of his coat and presented it to Gill. The snowflake looking icy, blue hexagon was presented to Gill for his victory over the Mahogany Town Gym. "This is the Glacier Badge. With it, you can use Whirlpool to its full potential." He took out a disk from his pocket as well, handing that over to the boy. "This is contains the move, Hail. Use it to give you a quick edge on the battlefield."

Gill thanked Pryce for his gift as he turned to leave the Gym.

Lyra and Brendon followed Gill out of the Gym, congratulating him once more for his latest victory.

Gill was beaming with joy now. He already had his seventh Gym Badge, he was so close to becoming the new Champion of Johto. The only thing that was standing in his way now was the Blackthorn City Gym. With all eight Gym Badges then he could march on to the Indigo Plateau.

The Championship was so close that Gill could practically taste it on the tip of his tongue.


	20. Chapter 19

**Author's Note**: So I turns out that I dont leave until Friday. So as a token of my appreciation, I managed to write out this very long chapter just for you guys! It was originally going to be two-parts, but I decided to just jam it all into one very lengthy chapter. I hope you guys like it. I think it's the most epic chapter I've written so far. Well...Read and review!**  
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**Chapter Nineteen:**

After earning his seventh Gym Badge, Gill was practically in a rush to get to Blackthorn City as soon as possible. He wanted to quickly move and battle the city's Gym Leader so he could obtain his final Gym Badge. With the Rising Badge of Blackthorn City, Gill would be eligible to compete at the Indigo Plateau and take the Elite Four Challenge. If he could overcome the Elite Four then he'd be able to challenge Champion Lance to take the title from him.

What a day that would be if Gill became the youngest Champion ever to be crowned in Johto!

That Championship belt already felt like it was wrapped around his waist when Gill paid attention to just where he was at.

They had made a quick stop at the Pokémon Center so Gill could get his team all healed up for the journey to Blackthorn City. Lyra and Brendon rushed to the market to pick up some supplies that they would need for their journey through Route 44 and the Ice Path. Gill had heard just how treacherous the frozen path was for Trainers who didn't tread with caution.

It was a journey that Gill did not feel like dying for. He didn't want to be stuck, freezing to death in the Ice Path, praying for someone to come rescue him. So he welcomed Lyra and Brendon back like champions for returning to the center with the necessary supplies to make it through. Lyra was going over some of the things to expect from the path when Nurse Joy informed Gill that his team was ready to go.

Gill grabbed his Pokémon and was all settled to leave when his Pokégear rang like crazy. The boy gave out a deep sigh as he saw that it was Professor Elm that was calling him. He told the others before answering it where he got an ear-full from the professor who was speaking complete nonsense to him. The man was talking so fast and wasn't taking a break between words that it all sounded like gibberish to Gill.

"Slow down, professor!" Gill shouted into his phone. "I can't understand a dang word you said. Start from the beginning, what happened?"

"What happened!" shouted Professor Elm. "Haven't you heard? Aren't you listening to the news? Gill Hart, Team Rocket has taken over the Radio Tower in Goldenrod City and have nearly forced the town into complete shutdown!"

The Pokégear nearly slipped from Gill's hands as he found himself startled by the news. Gill entered a temporary state of shock where he complete ignored the outside world for a moment. He hung up on the professor and activated the radio function of his Pokégear. That's where he heard the news with his own ears.

Team Rocket was playing a broadcast, announcing their takeover that would soon spread through the rest of Johto.

Lyra and Brendon snuck up behind Gill, concerned by the boy's lack of life in his hazel eyes. Lyra tried to shake this funk out of her brother when Brendon started to listen to the broadcast. Brendon assumed this to be some type of joke, but the look on Gill's face said otherwise. Even Lyra couldn't deny that this was a legitimate broadcast that was playing.

"We need to go to Goldenrod City," said Gill. "We have to hurry."

The Trainers ran out of the Pokémon Center, taking off to get to Goldenrod City as quickly as possible.

* * *

It took a day for them to reach Goldenrod City, but when the Trainers finally arrived what they saw was less than thrilling.

Team Rocket had succeeded in taking over the city within the day it took for them to arrive. What they saw was far worse then what happened at Azalea Town and Mahogany Town. Their banners blew against the top of buildings. The Grunts roamed the streets, dragging people and Pokémon away as they screamed at the top of their lungs.

Gill tried to find help at the Gym, however, Team Rocket had sealed it off. There was a small army guarding the Gym which possibly prevented Whitney from escaping to defend the city as the Gym Leader. That was if something worse had not already happened to her. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of those awful thoughts.

When they had reached the northern border of the city, the Trainers quickly changed their clothes to something to help them blend it. The sun had already set by the time they arrived so they needed clothes that would help them to sneak around in the shadows. Lyra changed into a pair of black leggings with a tight, black shirt that went passed her thighs. Brendon wore a pair of black jeans that fit him a bit baggy with a black, muscle shirt to go with it. Gill wore jeans similar to what Brendon had on, except they were a tighter fit, and he had a black t-shirt to go with that.

The Trainers snuck around in the shadow, much like Team Rocket did, except they weren't up to anything nefarious. Gill, Lyra, and Brendon peaked around a corner just in time to see a group of Grunts ganging up on a man and a woman. The two looked possibly like a couple. Most of the Grunts dragged the woman off to a van, while the rest began to attack the man. It took everything that the Trainers had not to attack them, but they wished they did when they saw what happened next.

A Grunt pulled out a knife then slit the throat of the man, while the woman watched as she was stuffed into the van. The Grunts laughed as the man died before them as they slowly began to get into the van. The woman's screams were heart-breaking, which only made it clearer that she knew the man.

As the man took his dying breath, the Grunts took off down the road with the poor woman.

Gill barely could contain himself from vomiting right then and there. Lyra covered her eyes as she wept for the dead victim of Team Rocket's evil ways. Brendon just swallowed down his urge to play the reckless hero since he knew how that story ended. This wasn't the first murder that he witnessed, Brendon saw worse when Team Magma and Team Aqua attacked Hoenn.

"We have to go," Brendon whispered to them both. "It won't do us any good just sticking around here. We have to get to the Radio Tower and stop Team Rocket before they do anymore damage."

Lyra barely nodded her head as she began to follow Brendon.

Gill ran over to the man's body and dropped to his knees. His thin knees fell into the pool of blood, while Gill stared into the soulless eyes of the recently deceased. "I promise that I'll stop Team Rocket," whispered the boy. "I'll make your death mean something…I'm so sorry." Gill placed his hands on the man's eyelids and closed them, out of respect for the stranger.

The boy quickly got back to his feet and joined the others to stop Team Rocket.

* * *

Running through the city in the middle of the night while Team Rocket was running wild, probably wasn't a good idea.

However, Gill and the others had to do something more to save the city. They couldn't allow those evil bastards to get away with killing and kidnapping more innocent people like the poor couple they saw earlier. It left them all sick to their stomachs to see something like that happen right before their very eyes. They wouldn't allow for such madness to continue.

The path was pretty clear until they neared the Radio Tower. When they reached the tower, a band of Grunts guarded the entrance from any intruders. The Grunts quickly spotted the Trainers and were now itching to have a battle. They sent their dozen Raticate and Rattata out to deal with those meddlesome pests.

Gill wasn't about to let that happened though. He sent out his Tyrogue, despite knowing he had very little battle experience with him. Before they arrived to the city though, he took the time to teach the little fighter a few more handy moves. "Teach them a lesson, buddy," whispered the boy. Gill released the Pokémon from his Pokéball, who was very much excited to be free when he took noticed to the incoming army of rats. A wicked smile crept up Tyrogue's face as he saw the opportunity to unleash his warrior spirit.

"What a little wimp!" shouted a Grunt.

"That little piece of shit won't last two seconds against us," said another.

Oh boy, were they about to learn their lesson.

Tyrogue stood on the middle of the road, in front of Gill and the others. He kept his cool as he took in a deep breath as he gathered all of his energy into his hands and feet. The Fighting-type could still remember some of his training from the Karate Master so he was well aware of how to fight.

So with that energy bursting from him, Tyrogue immediately jumped into the offensive. He threw himself after a group of Rattata where he easily swatted them away with his fists. Then came the bigger fish, the Raticate were positively vicious as they began to swarm him. Tyrogue went in after them and kicked a few away while more kept on calming.

Lyra and Brendon didn't like being left out of a fight. Plus, they weren't sure how long Tyrogue would last against two dozen Pokémon. Lyra sent out her Gloom, while Brendon released his Fearow.

Gloom quickly hopped over to where Tyrogue was fighting. He was initially surprised by her presence then came the giant Fearow. He flew above them all, frightening back some of the Grunts' Pokémon in the process. Gloom sprayed out her Stun Spore to paralyze the enemy Pokémon with one hit. Fearow finished off the rest by using Peck to knock them out of the picture.

"Let's end this then!" Gill shouted. "Golbat, Supersonic!" He tossed the Pokéball, releasing the bat contained within. Golbat quickly gave out a deathly wail that confused the Grunts and their Pokémon to the point of no return.

By then, the Trainers had gained more attention from the rest of Team Rocket. More Grunts began to run towards the Radio Tower, which was not a good thing. Brendon led the pack inside the tower, while they recalled all of their team in the process.

Quickly, they barricaded the door with a heavy desk and a bookcase. That would keep the Grunts back for a while, at least until they succeeded in taking down the higher-ups of Team Rocket from within the tower. Gill took the lead again as he began to walk in front to see the carnage done by the Rockets.

The entire building had been trashed from the inside. Papers, books, computers were scattered across the ground with everything else in between. Lights were hanging off the hinges if they weren't already sparking all over the place. The elevators were completely dead, which meant that they were going to have to take the stairs

"This is the beginning to a bad horror movie," whispered Lyra.

"Don't jinx it," said Brendon. "Let's hope it's a good one where we all live."

The Trainers began to ascend the stairs to see that the building was practically empty. There was nobody here except for the occasional tied up hostage that was guarded by a Grunt or two. Gill and the others decided to stray away from them so that they wouldn't alert Team Rocket to their presence. With any luck, the Executives that were running this show weren't aware of their presence.

At least that's what they thought until they reached the fourth floor.

There was a man with a very familiar face waiting for them. He sat on a chair where he blocked the stairs to the next floor as a few Grunts stood around him. There weren't any hostages on this floor, which meant they would be able to fight freely. Team Rocket wouldn't care about that though, especially not this Executive.

Proton was a cruel man who was as famous within Team Rocket as well as being notoriously evil. The blue haired, youth opened his eyes where he saw the intruders trying to break into their new base of operations. It was so shameful and downright insulting that the Trainers had the balls (and ovaries) to think they could bring down Team Rocket.

"A child may have defeated us before, but that won't happen a second time," said Proton. He rose up from his chair, kicking it aside where it loudly crashed against the wall. Even his Grunts appeared to be frighten despite the cool and collected look on the Executive's face.

Proton took a few steps forward with glares shooting out of his face now. He locked onto Gill where his insides began to boil over with pure fury. "You're that little brat from Azalea Town!" shouted Proton. "You're the one who's been trying to stop us? I thought my Grunts took care of you in the Ilex Forest! Damn, I knew I shouldn't have seen morons to kill the Champion's son."

Gill's eyes widened as he remembered what happened at Ilex Forest. He also remembered Proton very well from the Slowpoke Well. "You…you tried to have me killed!" Gill said, in complete shock. The boy's voice cracked a little as he remembered the pain he felt throughout his body until Silver had rescued him. Silver…

That's when Proton began to laugh as he took out two Pokéballs. He twirled them around in his hands, preparing to use his weapons to eliminate the brats. "You're a threat to Team Rocket and it's my job to eliminate all threats," Proton said, simply. "Since my Grunts failed, I will have to end you myself!" He released his Golbat and Weezing to do battle. The Grunts sent their Zubats out as well to assist the Executive.

"I'll be the one to end you!" Lyra shouted, in defense of her brother. Her Azumarill and Girafarig out from their Pokéballs to wipe the floor with Team Rocket. Azumarill used Water Gun and Girafarig use Psybeam to take care of the Grunts all at once. With them out of the way, all that was left was Proton.

Lyra was fuming as she jumped in front of her brother. Gill was practically in shock as he stared at Proton, the man who wanted to actually kill him. She wasn't about to let this man have that chance to touch her brother.

Proton thought it was utterly cute the way she stood up for him. It was enough to make him laugh as he ran a hand through his blue hair. "Lyra Hart, the Champion's eldest child," said Proton. "You are nowhere near half the Trainer that your brother is. Our spies told us that he's obtained his seventh Badge, while you stopped a three."

"It doesn't take Gym Badges to make a Trainer strong," said Lyra. "I'll show you true strength, you little bastard. You hurt my brother so now I'm going to make you regret ever being born!"

Lyra's fury seemed to funnel out to her Pokémon. They responded well to her anger as they too had an urge to protect their human friend.

Proton had his Pokémon attack Lyra and her team. Golbat used Air Cutter to release sharps blades after them, while Weezing sprayed them with Sludge. Lyra's team managed to dodge the attacks without even breaking a sweat. They were about to break something that belonged to Proton and his Pokémon though, very soon.

Azumarill had no mercy as she took in a very deep breath. She released her Bubblebem, spraying out a vast array of colorful bubbles to slow down Golbat and Weezing. This was all going according to Lyra's big plan, while Proton simply growled with all of his frustration of being so easily distracted.

Girafarig was motionless as he focused all of his psychic energy into one attack. Using Psychic, the Pokémon's eyes began to glow a pale blue as he lifted up all the books and chairs that he could get a hold of. With that done, Girafarig launched all of his gathered goods at Proton's Pokémon, easily bombarding them with Psychic.

Golbat and Weezing crashed to the ground, unable to put up a longer fight against Lyra and her Pokémon.

But that wasn't it for Proton though. He was going to try and do something else when Lyra marched her way over to him. Deciding to play a little dirty, he swung his fist at her. Brendon was about to rush in to interfere, but Lyra easily dodge his attack. She twisted her body just a tad to the slide and returned his missed punch for one that actually made contact.

Lyra's fist smashed into his jaw, causing a good amount of pain to Proton. He tried to get her back, but his balance was lost. That's when Lyra added insult to injury. She slammed her heel into his foot before grabbing onto his shoulders. She drove her knee into his crotch, delivering a deadly blow to his gentiles. Just for good measure, she kneed him in the privates once more before pushing him to the ground where he withered there in pain.

His Grunts immediately took off running, while Proton just laid there in total agony.

Lyra knelt down and took Proton's hat from him. She placed it on top of her own head before getting back on her feet. "Who's your daddy now, bitch?" laughed the young woman.

Proton could only groan in pain, while Lyra celebrated her victory.

Gill and Brendon followed Lyra up to the next floor as they left Proton behind to suffer from his possibly popped testicles.

At the fifth floor, Brendon took the cautious steps forward to take one for the team.

There was a small desk where an older man appeared to be tied up at. His head was slumped forward, which worried the Trainers as they thought him to be dead. They quickly rushed over to his side where they saw that he was breathing before they began to untie him.

Gill got down on his knees where he tried to shake the man awake. "Sir, are you alright?" asked the boy. "Can you hear me, sir?"

"Direc…tor," whispered the old man. He slowly began to open his eyes which is when the Trainers sighed with relief. They all gave the man his space as he slowly began to move from the chair that he was sitting on. "I'm…the director of this radio tower." A sharp cough escaped him, which seemed to help the man recover. "Team Rocket, they captured me and locked me within my office. Their higher-ups though are in the broadcast room where they are playing their message."

"We need to get into the broadcast room then," said Lyra. "You would have the key, right, Mr. Director?"

"Of course, lass!" laughed the director. "But I'm afraid that I won't be handing it over to you."

Brendon became very suspicious of this man when he paid closer attention to his voice. There was something about the way he spoke that seemed very familiar to him. "Why wouldn't you help us, sir?" asked the Hoenn Trainer. "I'm sure you want us to help save the city. They killing and kidnapping people and Pokémon out there."

The director only nodded his head as he placed a hand against his temple. There was something very off with his wrinkled face that made Brendon very concerned. It was only when he spoke that Brendon knew for sure that this was wrong.

"Team Rocket must takeover this city…no, the entire region!" said the director. "Their message must strike fears into the hearts of men and Pokémon alike. Only then will Lord Giovanni come out from hiding and lead us to a new age!"

Brendon took a Pokéball out, pushing Lyra and Gill behind him. He had them keep their distance, while the director looked out to the window to witness all the mayhem that was going on outside. "You're not the director!" shouted Brendon. The harsh tone in his voice surprised Gill and Lyra. "You're that creep from Mahogany Town!" Brendon stood his ground though as he released his Pokémon.

Swampert rose up to do battle with this pretender. The fully-evolved form of Mudkip was ready to do some fighting today, to save Goldenrod City from Team Rocket. His wicked, yellow eyes could already smell that something very fishy was going on.

The director began to laugh before stripping himself. Lyra, out of instinct, turned away, but that was pointless since the man was only ridding himself of this disguise. Brendon was right to be suspicious, he was especially right in declaring this man to be an imposter of the director.

Petrel gave out a deep sigh as he showed himself in his Team Rocket uniform. He only waved his finger around, pointing it over at Brendon. "A smart little piece of shit, you are," said the Executive. "What gave me away this time? I'm a master of disguise! That was flawless."

"I recognized your voice," said Brendon. "Now, tell us where the real director is before I kick your ass!"

"He's in the Underground Tunnel," Petrel said, plainly. "We stashed him underneath the Department Store. Here's the key to the basement while you're at it." The Executive simply tossed the key at Gill who easily caught it. The man then tossed a Pokéball, releasing his Weezing from inside. "Not like it matters though because in five seconds you're about to be blown up. None of us will make it out of here alive. Weezing, take care of this with Explosion!"

A flashback of his encounter with Eusine entered Gill's mind. He latched onto Lyra, trying to drag her sister away. She was just frozen though, unable to move because of Petrel's bold attempt to kill them all like nothing mattered at all. Petrel was crazy enough to actually kill himself so long as it meant that they died with him.

Brendon wasn't about to allow that to happen though. He shouted at Swampert to use Muddy Water before it was too late. Swampert obeyed his command, quickly striking Weezing before they were all blown to pieces.

A surge of muddy water gathered around Swampert which he unleashed upon Weezing. The mud caked against Weezing's shell before the water dug in there to really crush him out. Weezing gave out a deep cry as he tried to explode before all of his strength was taken out by Muddy Water.

Swampert won out in the end though, knocking Weezing out before he could finish using Explosion. And with his Pokémon done with, Brendon had Swampert hold Petrel down before tying him up once more. Only this time, Brendon made sure that the knots were tied securely so he wouldn't get away. Lyra threw in some tap to keep his mouth covered, while Gill clung onto the key.

"And now we get the hell out of here!" Brendon said to them both. "You can thank me after we take Team Rocket down."

Lyra and Gill were completely speechless by Brendon as they followed him out of the building.

Petrel and Proton stayed down, both having been shamefully defeated by teenagers.

* * *

Getting back down to the first floor was fairly easy. All of the Grunts had pretty much fled the tower with all the kidnapped civilians trying to escape as well. Gill, Brendon, and Lyra let the people out of the Radio Tower only to be stopped when they crossed the exit.

The exit that they had blocked off had been broken down by a unit of Grunts. Team Rocket's henchmen were just itching to have their revenge against the Trainers that had been making their lives so miserable. Gill knew this wasn't good since there was over three dozen Grunts present. There was only three Trainers, all the other civilians had been injured during their time as hostages.

The Grunts slowly drew closer towards the Trainers when two Pokémon flew above their heads.

A large owl and a giant butterfly got between the Grunts and the Trainers. Psychic energy began to swirl around the both of them, while Gill scanned the Pokémon with his Pokédex. Noctowl and Butterfree were both using Confusion against the Grunts to trap them in a temporary state of paralysis.

"What the hell is happening to me!" shouted a Grunt.

"I can't move!" cried another.

"Someone, stop those Pokémon!"

For a second, Gill something hovering above the Grunts. It disappeared from his sight as quickly as it came until a purple being materialized before the Trainers and civilians. Gengar put himself in front of the other Pokémon as he gathered a ball of shadows within his own hand. Using Shadow Ball, Gengar easily took down the Grunts once the other Pokémon released them from Confusion.

With the Grunts down, these strange Pokémon led them outside until a trio could be seen standing outside. A group of men were practically waiting for them as they shouted at everyone to run to the Pokémon Center. The civilians followed without any hesitation, but Gill was motionless as he recognized the faces. The Pokémon did as well as they returned to their respective Trainers.

"Gym Leaders!" Gill shouted, smiling at them. "Morty, Falkner, Bugsy!"

The Gym Leaders of Violet City, Azalea Town, and Ecruteak City spotted Gill without any trouble at all. They joined the boy and his companions outside of the Radio Tower, while all of this madness continued around them.

Falkner sighed as he took a good look at Gill. "Why am I not surprised that the Champion's son got in the middle of all this?" said the Flying-type specialist.

Bugsy pushed the other Gym Leader aside so that he now stood in front of Gill. "It's really good to see you again, Gill!" said the Bug-type specialist. "You're here to save Goldenrod City like you helped out Azalea Town?"

"That's a heavy burden to put on someone so young, Bugsy," said Morty. The Ghost-type specialist pulled his fellow Gym Leader back to give the boy some space. He looked over at the three Trainers, noticing the look of surprise on their faces. "Don't give us those looks. Did you really think the Pokémon League would allow this to continue? Whitney managed to send out an S.O.S before Team Rocket captured her. I believe that Jasmine and Chuck are rescuing her even as we speak, while Pryce and Clair are on their way as well."

"So the Gym Leaders are going to save the city?" asked Brendon.

"More than just the Gym Leaders," said Bugsy. "The Elite Four and Dragon Master Lance are fighting Team Rocket all over the city. Champion Victor is gathering every strong Trainer at the Pokémon Center to lead them against Team Rocket."

"The Elite Four and Lance is here!" shouted Lyra. "Amazing."

"Dad's organizing all of this?" Gill said, softly.

"We had a feeling that there might be hostages at the tower, which is why the three of us came here," said Falkner. "It looks like you saved us the time of rescuing everyone. Let's hurry to the center!"

The Trainers took off with the Gym Leaders, racing to the Pokémon Center halfway across town.

* * *

As they ran to their base, the Gym Leaders quickly disposed of the Grunts that got in their way. Gill and the others weren't about to be left on the sidelines though. Gill had Poliwhirl give them some aid by putting nearby Grunts into a hypnotic sleep. Lyra and Brendon did some of the heavier lifting though.

Brendon released his Sunflora using Sunny Day to create a bright ball of light that he released into the sky. This light provided enough illumination to give Lyra the backup that she needed. Lyra released Bayleaf who had just recently evolved into Meganium. She was merely a larger version of Bayleaf with flower petals around her neck instead of leaves. Meganium was told to use Solarbeam, which she did without any hesitation. With Sunny Day speeding up the process, Meganium released a blast of energy that gathered around her petals from her mouth to push all of the Grunts out of their way.

Gill applauded Lyra and Meganium as they resumed their run to the Pokémon Center.

When they finally arrived, nobody was surprised to see the dozens of Trainers that were flocking around the center. All of the Trainers had been sent outside so that Nurse Joy and the other medics could take care of the injured people and Pokémon.

Amongst the crowd, Victor Hart was sending out Trainers to protect the Pokémon Center and the nearby hospital. The Trainers followed the Champion's commands without any hesitation since they wanted to do their part in protecting their city. Victor effortlessly commanded the Trainers as he kept his eyes peeled from any of Team Rocket's henchmen that might try to attack from the shadows.

"Dad!" Gill and Lyra shouted at the top of their lungs.

Victor turned his head to the side, his face immediately lit up as his children ran towards him. Brendon and the Gym Leaders weren't too far behind as Gill and Lyra had a very brief reunion with their father. Not long after Lyra and Gill collided into Victor, the center's doors opened up with a slightly, plum Molly running out to hug her children. The family was reunited even amongst the chaos that was blanketing the city.

"I'm glad to see that you two are okay," said Victor. "Professor Elm told me he called you after the Pokémon League notified me what was happening."

"Yeah, we're safe," laughed Lyra. "Team Rocket doesn't stand a chance against us."

"Anyways!" Gill said, interfering with his sister's rant. "We found out where the director is being held captive after taking down two of Team Rocket's Executives."

"Gill, we told you to stay out of trouble!" Molly said, grabbing hold of her son's arm.

"Don't worry, mom," said Gill. "This will be like the hundredth time I've taken Team Rocket down. Besides, somebody has to rescue the director before Team Rocket are able to make contact with their leader, Giovanni."

Victor and Molly's eyes widened with horror as they recognized that name. Giovanni had terrorized the Kanto region for so long, hiding his identity as the leader of Team Rocket for so long. He appeared as a Gym Leader before the Champion of Kanto uncovered his identity as the leader of Team Rocket then forced the villain into hiding after defeating him.

"Then we have to stop them, no matter the cost," Victor said, angrily. "Gill, where is the director?"

"In a tunnel beneath the Department Store," said Gill. "I'll have to go into the tunnel to reach him."

"You'll need to disguise yourself to reach the director," said Falkner. "It just so happens we stole a uniform from one of the Grunts as well. He was about your size."

"No!" Molly said, angrily. "You will not put my son in such unnecessary danger."

Victor took hold of his wife as he tried to calm her down. She clenched onto her stomach in a very protective way that didn't go unnoticed by her children. "Control yourself, Molly," whispered Victor. "Gill is the only one who can do this. He's stronger now. Even Lance told me that he hasn't seen a Trainer with such strength since Red." He placed his hand over hers, squeezing it gently as he touched her stomach. "You don't want to risk the baby's health by worrying yourself to death."

That last part didn't fly over Lyra or Gill's heads. Both of their eyes widened as they heard what their father said. "You're pregnant!" they shouted together. Victor and Molly both began to smile as Molly informed her children that she was five months. If the situation wasn't so grave, the kids would've been more excited by this news.

Right now though, they were far too worried about their mother's safety.

"Hey!"

Familiar voices reached out to Gill as he soon found himself facing Jasmine, Whitney, and Chuck. It appeared that Jasmine and Chuck were very successful in rescuing Whitney from Team Rocket. The Gym Leader appeared very much relieved to see the Champion and Gill present as well as the other Gym Leaders. She thanked them all for helping in saving the city from Team Rocket's nefarious plans.

They weren't the only ones there though.

Pryce arrived with a familiar woman at his side. Gill recognized the Gym Leader of Blackthorn City who had grown a little older since the last time he saw her. Clair wore an elaborate blue dress that had dragon-like scales formed onto it that matched her own blue hair. A cape flowed freely at her back as she made her presence known to the other Gym Leaders.

"Well, this is a lovely reunion," said Clair. "It appears that Team Rocket has finally decided to attack out in the open. Finally, we can now take the fight to them."

"You spoke the words right out of my mouth, Clair," laughed Victor. "Gym Leaders, we will need to spread out into groups. Jasmine, Clair, and Morty, you will be coming with me to attack the tower. Team Rocket's Grunts will have a hard time damaging our Pokémon. We'll use that to our advantage. Pryce and Bugsy, you two will battle at the southern end. Falkner and Chuck, the north side is your domain. Whitney, I want you lead my son to the tunnels so that he can rescue the director from Team Rocket. Brendon and Lyra, I suggest that you go with Whitney so you can help her battle afterwards."

Everyone followed the Champion's commands without any hesitation.

The Gym Leaders went their separate ways, following the orders that they received from the Champion. Jasmine, Clair, and Morty followed Victor to the Radio Tower to handle the largest threat from Team Rocket. Pryce and Bugsy went south as Falkner and Chuck went north to deal with all the stragglers.

Whitney lead Trainers to the tunnels where Team Rocket would be holding the director captive. There was no way to get into the Department Store since Team Rocket was already guarding the main door. So Whitney took Gill to one of the more remote, unknown entrances to the tunnel. Lyra took Gill's things to hold it for safe keeping until he returned with the director. Brendon helped Gill to get dressed up into the stolen Grunt uniform.

Whitney wished the kid the best of luck as Gill descended into the tunnels, on his own with only his Pokémon at his side.

* * *

Dolled up like a Grunt, Gill made it to the tunnels without any trouble. The Trainers that usually hung out down there were battling Team Rocket above ground. As for Team Rocket, they were probably hiding around in the tunnels to make sure nobody broke in.

A radio was playing somewhere, constantly replaying the message of Team Rocket's takeover.

Gill knew he didn't have much time as he tipped his hat lower to cover his face. He pulled up his gloves and fixed his shirt as he went deeper into the tunnel to a place that was very unfamiliar to him. All the while, he was unaware of the two pair of eyes that were following him. One set belonged to a young man who purposely followed every move he made, the other were from a young woman dressed in a kimono.

The Kimono Girl blushed as she saw the Chosen Trainer that her companions told her of. She giggled for a moment before quickly running out of the tunnel to find someplace safer for her to hide.

Back to Gill, the boy found a doorway that had been sealed off for a long time. He gently applied pressure against it to see that it was possible to open it now. With a soft sigh, Gill pushed the door open where he found a long, dark path laid out before him. Swallowing his fears, Gill began to walk down the tunnel until he heard the door slam shut behind him.

The entire tunnel was filled with darkness with only a faint light coming from the end. Gill could hear footsteps behind him, which frightened him to the ends of the Earth. He thought that he should really take his mother's warnings a little more seriously as he took out a Pokéball. He'd fight his way out if he had to.

"You're really bad at this," said his voice. "Maybe you should leave the sneaking around to the professionals."

"Silver!" Gill said, only barely surprised to see a flash of red in the darkness.

A flashlight shun on Gill's face, providing a little more light to illuminate the tunnel. Gill soon found himself pressed against the wall with a warm body keeping him pinned. A smile crept up Silver's face as he kept his lips hovered away but an inch from Gill.

"Why did I have a feeling that following you would be a good idea?" asked Silver. "What's down here that your dear old, Champion of a daddy would let his precious little boy out on his own like this?"

Gill tried to pull himself away from Silver, but the older boy wasn't allow him to budge. Gill had to sigh as he told him off the rescue mission to save the director. Silver listened to every word, especially the part where Gill informed him that Team Rocket was trying to bring Giovanni out of hiding. That last part seemed to infuriate Silver for no apparent reason at all.

Silver simply snatched onto Gill's wrist and began to drag him deeper into the tunnel. Gill tried to get some answers out of him, while trying to free his wrist.

They reached the end of the tunnel where they kept their distance from the light. Silver turned off his flashlight and took out a pair of handcuffs from his small pack. Gill wasn't about to ask him where he got those when he witnessed Silver lock himself with them.

"Do exactly what I tell you to do," Silver said, fastening the locks. "I'll pretend to be your prisoner. We'll have the Grunts take you to the director from there. Then you send your Pokémon out to fight them. Got it?"

Gill only nodded his head when Silver handed him the key to the handcuffs.

They wandered deeper into the tunnel where Gill nervously kept up with the charade. Silver pretended to be the perfect, docile prisoner as they passed by a few Grunts. The Grunts believed Gill to be one of them and told the boy to take him with the other prisoners at the end of the tunnel. The Grunts then unlocked the door for him where they found a room full of prisoners.

Gill recognized this place though. It had the same design as the basement of the Department Store. They made it, this was where the director of the Radio Tower was being held prisoner. Now, Gill just needed to take care of Team Rocket, while Silver worked on freeing himself.

Handing over the keys, in secret, Gill turned his attention on the worried civilians. They all appeared frightened with a wide variety of them trapped in the basement. Young and old, men and women, black and white, fat and skinny. There was no discrimination on Team Rocket's part. They had captured anyone and everyone that they could get their evil little hands on, which infuriated Gill to no end.

The Grunts began to fill into the room with all the captured civilians cowering in fear at this point.

And that's when Gill had enough.

Gill tossed his hat to the side, while snatching a Pokéball out to face Team Rocket. "You won't hurt anyone else!" shouted the boy. "I'll protect everyone from you! Dragonair, let's clean up this garbage!" He tossed the Pokéball, releasing his very first Pokémon from her confinements.

Dragonair gave out a lovely cry that seemed to relax the captured civilians in the room. Even Silver was amazed as he worked on freeing himself once he gazed at the magnificence of the Dragon Pokémon. Dragonair's winged ears began to glow as the gems on her body began to show signs of sparking. The Grunts were frozen still for a moment before Dragonair charged after them, releasing this built up electricity as a Shock Wave.

The burst of electricity shocked the Grunts, causing each of them to pass out on the ground.

With that taken care of, Gill turned to face the worried people with a smile on his face. By then, Silver had broken free and unlocked the doors that kept everyone trapped in the tunnel. Everyone began to flee at that point, thanking both of the boys for the rescue. Silver and Gill watched as the crowd thinned out until only one man remained behind.

This man wore a torn suit and looked as if he had seen better days. He had black eye on his right with multiple bruises and cuts shown from the exposed bits of skin. He struggled for a moment to get back on his feet as he stared into the eyes of both the Trainers.

"I knew someone would rescue us," said the man. "I'm willing to bet that you're attempting to overthrow Team Rocket. Well…you'll need my help for that."

"Are you the director of the Radio Tower?" Gill asked. "We need the key to stop the broadcast signal and Team Rocket."

The man nodded his head, agreeing to help Gill as well as identifying himself as the director. He pulled out a card from within his pants that Gill accepted with his gloved hand. The boy did not want to know just where this was stuffed as he promised to seriously sanitize his hand later.

"With that key, you'll have full access to the building," said the director. "Go now. I'll make it outside on my own. You need to hurry and save Johto before it's too late!"

Gill nodded his head as he took off running, while recalling Dragonair into her Pokéball. Silver stared at the director for a moment who simply told the red head to help Gill. He didn't need to be told twice as he turned away from the beaten man. Silver took off, chasing after Gill, which was something he did best.

The director had a smile on his face as he slowly made his way outside as well.

* * *

It was utter mayhem in the city.

Gill couldn't go pass a single street without seeing Team Rocket locked in battle against somebody. He passed by Whitney, Lyra, and Brendon who were busy tackling a small army of Grunts on their own. He also briefly caught a glimpse a rather muscular man who was surrounding by Fighting-type Pokémon. This man caught sight of Gill and appeared that he was about to attack when he seemed to recognize the boy. After that, he shot Gill a wink before resuming his focus on the real Grunts.

Silver had caught up with him by then. The red head snatched Gill's hand and together they took off running towards the Radio Tower in the distance. They both saw clouds of smoke from all over the city, rising up from the buildings or the ground. No fires seemed to be present though, which seemed to be a good thing as the night was slowly coming to an end.

"Do you think the others are alright?" Gill asked.

"You know I don't care about other people," Silver said, taking lead. "But if I had to assume then I'd say yes. The Grunts in Team Rocket have no real strength, they're just vermin that keep on multiplying. All the Trainers in Goldenrod City should be more than enough to take care of them."

That came as a slight comfort to the boy as they ran closer to the tower. Gill had a brief flashback of the poor man he saw murdered before his very eyes. "I saw someone die today," he said to Silver. "I didn't know him, but Team Rocket murdered him in front of this woman before they kidnapped her. I don't know what happened to her either and I feel bad. I have to stop Team Rocket before they do anything to hurt anyone else!"

Such a strong declaration that was. Silver honestly felt something as he looked back to see the fire burning within the boy's eyes. It finally seemed that Gill was growing up as he saw the evils that lurked within their world. Maybe there was some hope for the kid after all, at least, that's what Silver thought.

A Hyper Beam flashed in the distance as a Dragonite took flight. Gill instantly recognized his father's Pokémon, which meant that they were very close. Silver still kept the lead as he led Gill through the alleys in order to escape the battles that had covered the streets. Gill didn't disagree with this as they ran closer and closer to the Radio Tower until they finally reached their goal.

Gill briefly caught sight of his father taking on dozens of Pokémon on his own. The Champion of Johto didn't appear to be the slightest bit afraid, which was enough to give Gill the motivation that he needed.

They made it inside of the building where they took off to the fifth floor where Brendon battled Petrel. When they made it to that floor, Gill took notice that Petrel and Proton were nowhere to be seen. He tried not to worry too much as he used the key given to him by the director to reach the next flight of stairs. Silver followed his lead this time though as the boy kept his eyes open for any possible trouble.

It was a good thing he was paying attention to. Gill stopped running just as a blast of Acid hit part of the stairs. Gill easily saw the Vileplume, the fully evolved form of Oddish, at the stairs with a familiar woman standing behind her. Ariana was here, an Executive of Team Rocket who was up to no good at all.

Gill took out a Pokéball, ready to battle the woman even in these close quarters.

"Why did I have a feeling that you'd be here, boy?" said Ariana. "You even brought us a little friend. How cute, is he your boyfriend?"

"Maybe," Gill said, honestly. "Where's yours?"

Ariana laughed for a moment before releasing her Murkrow as well. Gill recognized the Flying-type since he and Brendon chased after that damn bird at the Rocket's last headquarters. With two Pokémon out, Gill knew he'd made the right choice as he went for speed. He released Eevee so that he could battle against Team Rocket. Shadow Ball was quickly used to distract Ariana's Pokémon for a moment before getting hit with a Quick Attack.

Eevee rushed in after Vileplume where he sank his little teeth into her arm. Bite left its mark on her, doing quite a bit of damage before Murkrow went in for a Peck attack. Eevee was smart enough to get out of the way by that point, which meant that Murkrow attacked Vileplume instead. The move was super effective and let a critical hit that knocked Vileplume out.

Ariana was downright furious as she recalled her Vileplume. Next, she sent out her giant Arbok that coiled herself around as she stuck her tongue out at them. Silver decided to do something to help as he sent his Sneasal out. Gill turned to see that Silver had joined him, which was something very surprising.

Sneasal charged after Arbok where he swung his claws forward to slash at her coiled form. Arbok tried to sink her fangs into him, but missed as Sneasal snuck away. The dual Ice and Dark-type struck again with Fury Swipes this time, while Arbok fired her Poison Sting. The poisonous bullets ended up hitting Murkrow, which was not a good thing. Gill had Eevee exploit this by having him using Shadow Ball against Murkrow. The combined attacks were more than enough to bring Murkrow down and unable to battle. Sneasal gave out a blast of Icy Wind, for good measure, to finish off the Arbok that collapsed a few inches from Ariana's foot.

"This…this was embarrassing!" cried Ariana. "I can promise you that this isn't over though! Archer will succeeded in bringing Lord Giovanni back!" She recalled her Pokémon before running up the stairs to warn the mastermind behind all of this.

Silver's fury burned angrier as he took off running with Sneasal right on his tail. Gill and Eevee started to chase after Silver as well to keep the red head from getting into too much trouble. Gill wouldn't be able to forgive himself if something unspeakable had happened to Silver. As they were running, Gill recalled Eevee and took out Typhlosion's Pokéball.

The boys followed Ariana to the broadcast room where this would all end.

The room was a massive space with a large satellite in the middle of the room. That was no doubt sending out the signal while a central computer housed Team Rocket's message. Beyond that, the entire room had large glass windows that looked out to the city.

Ariana got away from them where Gill and Silver saw all of Team Rocket's Executives gathered in one room. Proton was sitting on a chair, nursing his injured privates with an ice pack. Petrel was sitting on the ground, rubbing his face that had been burned by the tape. Ariana dropped to her knees before a man with blue hair, dressed in a white suit.

The blue haired man shot a brief glance at the boys before looking down to Ariana. A vicious scowl appeared on his face as kicked the woman away from him. "You failed me too, Ariana!" hissed the man. "You were supposed to take care of the intruders, not lead them here. What a worthless woman you are!"

"Forgive me, Archer!" cried Ariana. "I did not intend to fail you. It was never my intention."

Archer simply huffed before he stood his ground at the approaching Trainers. He held a hand up, which led to Silver and Gill to stop their approach. "I am getting tired with all of these interruptions," said Archer. "Nothing will stop us, get it through your thick heads. Team Rocket will succeeded in bringing our Lord Giovanni back from his solitary training."

Silver didn't like that at all as he stepped forward with his fists clenched. Sneasal followed his Trainer's footsteps as he began to stand proud and tall. "No, you won't get away with this," growled Silver. "I will not allow you to bring that monster back!"

"Do not think that you can stop me, boy!" Archer shouted at Silver. He tossed a Pokéball, releasing a Koffing from inside. Koffing hovered in the air, just waiting to battle. Archer pointed at Silver and began to mock the boy. "Nothing will stop Team Rocket! We can't have you getting in the way before news of our resurgence reaches Lord Giovanni!"

Sneasal wasted no time in taking Koffing down. The Dark-type sped across the floor where he slashed him down with a nasty Slash attack. Koffing was so surprised as he slowly fell to the ground with not a spot of health left in him. Now unconscious, Archer was astonished to see his Pokémon so easily defeated.

Not that he'd surrender though. Archer wasn't about to allow some teenager to defeat him. "Houndour and Houndoom, bring an end to him!" shouted Archer. He tossed out two Pokéballs, releasing the Pokémon within. Houndour was a small pup that had a skull on his forehead and shot smoke from his nose, while his evolved form, Houndoom, was a much larger version with sharp horns on his head along with a pointy tail.

Two Fire-types was not an ideal matchup. What made it worse was that they were both Dark-types as well, which forced Silver into recalling his Sneasal. The red head took out another Pokéball, which would serve as a major surprise for everyone. Nobody would expect him to use this Pokémon, especially Gill.

"Togekiss!" shouted Silver. "I'm counting on you to win this."

A large Pokémon with an egg-shaped body appeared from the Pokéball. With her thick wings, Togekiss took flight while emitting a joyous cry from her mouth. Red and blue decorated her white belly. Three spikes were on her head where two of which were colored red and the other blue as the third remained white.

Gill felt something inside him cause his heart to pound loudly. That's when he began to smile as Togekiss caught sight of him then flew over to him where she wrapped his arms around him. "Togekiss," Gill whispered. "You were my little Togetic, weren't you?" Togekiss nodded her head while she kept her thick body around him before Silver told her to focus.

Togekiss got into battle mode as she tore herself from Gill and resumed flight.

Silver briefly turned back to explain this new evolution to Gill. "I found a Shiny Stone around Mt. Mortar," said Silver. "I used it on Togetic then she evolved. I have to admit, Togetic was a decent fighter, but as Togekiss, she is just remarkable."

"Remarkable my ass!" shouted Archer. "Houndour, use Ember! Houndoom, use Flamethrower!"

The two Pokémon spewed fire from their mouths that began to head straight towards Togekiss. Gill turned away out of fear of watching something horrible happen to his Pokémon. However, Togekiss didn't seem at all frightened as Silver told her to use Ancient Power. Togekiss's body gained a light glow as she spun around in rapid circles.

The fire began to wound around her body as she turned it into a massive fireball. This sight was surprising to everyone with the exception of Silver. Gill was completely enthralled when he saw this, while the Executives look baffled by what was happening. Silver told Togekiss to release the fire, which she did without a moment of hesitation.

As the flames dispersed, Silver had another trick up his sleeve. With one attack, he'd take all of Archer's Pokémon down without any trouble at all. "Togekiss, use Aura Sphere," commanded the red head. Togekiss gathered a blue sphere on top of her head which she broke away from. She then swatted the sphere with her wing, sending it rushing after Archer's Pokémon.

Just like Silver predicted, once Aura Sphere came into contact with them then that was it. Houndour and Houndoom were both defeated by the attack. Unable to do anything else, Archer angrily recalled his Pokémon, while cursing his very luck. All while Silver laughed at Archer and the other Executives without any control.

This dark laughter worried Gill as he made his approach to the red head. Silver swatted him away though along with Togekiss before she was recalled by the red head. It was obvious to everyone that Silver had lost all traces of his sanity.

"You didn't stand a chance against me," laughed Silver. The humor began to calm itself down as Silver straightened himself out. He faced Archer and the other Executives with cold, gray eyes. "I command you to cease this transmission. As the heir to Team Rocket, I order you to put an end to this transmission. Giovanni will not return from his training, so I, Giovanni's son, will take control of Team Rocket."

Everyone looked upon Silver, entering a state of shock by his bold declaration.

Gill stepped away from Silver as he grabbed onto the nearest railing to support himself. The Executives were merely paralyzed as they looked upon this boy who claimed to be their great leader's son.

"Master…Master Silver?" Archer stuttered out. "Could it truly be?"

"It is I, you idiots," growled Silver. "Who else would it be?"

"Master Silver!" the Executives said, strongly as they bowed to their leader's heir.

Silver didn't bother to hide the smile on his face before turning back around to Gill. The boy looked frightened, which seemed to excite Silver as he snatched him up. "I've come to take Team Rocket under my control," said Silver. "And to prove my leadership status, I've brought Champion Victor's son. He will be my very willing slave, if he knows what's good for him."

The betrayal that Gill felt spoke no language. The boy held back tears as all of his fears about Silver came true. With a blow to the ribs, Gill managed to break free from Silver's hold. "No!" Gill shouted, angrily. "I won't allow you to use me! I…I trusted you with all my heart, Silver. I…I can't believe I allowed myself to love you."

"Love is for fools," Silver said, simply. "Now, I suggest that you surrender, Gill, or else this will get nasty."

"Go to hell!" Gill spat at him. "Typhlosion, I need you to destroy the satellite."

"That's not how this will end!" shouted Silver. "Feraligatr, end this!"

Both boys released the fully-evolved forms of the Pokémon that once belonged to Professor Elm. Fire and Water collided in the tower, which made the floor shake as the two Pokémon quickly collided against one another. Even the Executives were frightened by the sight unfolding before them.

Feraligatr appeared to be vicious as he tried to snap at Gill's Typhlosion. Typhlosion wasn't about to allow himself to be anyone's snack though, even if he did have the disadvantage in this fight. The two kept their hands gripped against one another as they struggled to overpower the other.

When it came to pure, offensive power, the two were very much tied. However, Silver knew if he exploited Feraligatr's type advantage then he'd win. Gill wouldn't allow such a thing to happen as he called for Typhlosion to burn bright.

The flames that jetted from Typhlosion's back began to gave the Fire-type more strength. Typhlosion pushed Feraligatr back before emitting a powerful Flamethrower, while Feraligatr gave out a nasty Water Pulse. Fire and water collided together, creating a thick cloud of smoke, leaving everything covered.

In the midst of this chaos, Silver went over to the central computer and pushed it through the window. The smoke quickly cleared out as the computer smashed into pieces. This surprising act put an end to Team Rocket's plans as well as ended the battle between himself and Gill.

Gill was at awe by Silver's actions, while the Executives cried out in anguish for the failure to see this double-cross. Silver stood still as he purposely kept his eyes away from Gill.

In the meantime, dawn had finally came and Team Rocket was defeated.

* * *

In the aftermath of the Radio Tower, the Executives and all the Grunts were going to be locked away in a maximum security prison. Johto had been saved and Team Rocket had once again been disbanded, none other than by Giovanni's own son. That last part was kept hidden though from everyone as the city was slowly being restored from the fighting.

Silver and Gill sat outside of the tower, neither one wanting to look at one another. Gill was still in shock by everything that had just happened today. It had been such a long day, he'd need the rest of his life to process everything that just happened.

"Are you really Giovanni's son?" Gill asked Silver. "Or was that just a trick like taking over Team Rocket?"

A soft sigh escaped Silver as he took his hands out of his pocket. He dropped to the ground where he sat beside Gill who was still dressed up like a Grunt. "Yes…my father is Giovanni, the former leader of Team Rocket," Silver confessed. "So by birth, Team Rocket is mine to command. I hated the bastard though, I wanted nothing more than to tear down everything that he worked for."

"Oh," Gill simply whispered. "And the part about me being your slave?"

"That was a trick," said Silver. "I can never think of you as a slave. I…I like you way too much to do that to you, even if I did reclaim Team Rocket. I probably would've made you my queen or something."

Gill wanted to laugh, but couldn't find the motivation to do it.

The two resumed their game of silence when they heard a familiar voice. The director of the radio tower was hobbling in their direction with a large grin on his face. He started going on and on about how grateful he was to them for stopping Team Rocket and how there should be statues of them built all over Johto.

All this babbling went on for a while before the man finally took out something from his pocket. It was kept in a clear case that made Gill wonder just what else this man kept on his person.

"This is a gift for all your hard work," the director said to Gill. "In the case is a silver feather that was rumored to have come from a Legendary Pokémon native to Johto."

Gill took the case, opening it slowly to see the sparkling silver feather. It sparkled so brightly that it made Gill's eyes hurt to the point where he needed to close the case. He thanked the director who hobbled back inside the tower to see all of the damage done.

More familiar faces came after them. Victor showed up with his family, Brendon, and all of the Gym Leaders of Johto. Everyone gathered outside of the ruined Radio Tower in the middle of a city that had been torn apart by a fierce battle.

"You did well today, Gill," said Victor. "You did so well, in fact that I've never been more proud of you then today, son. Team Rocket is gone now thanks to you."

"Don't thank me," Gill said, softly. "Thank Silver…he's the one who foiled their plans."

"Well then," Victor said, turning towards the boy he wasn't too fond of. Silver didn't bother to hide the smirk that had grown on his face as he so desperately wanted to hear this. "Thank you for your great service to Johto, Silver. You saved a lot lives and spared the world from having to feel Team Rocket's wrath once more."

"Just doing my part to make the world a better place," Silver said, sarcastically. "Now, I should be going. If I hang around you people for too long, I'll lose my edge. Later, losers."

And just as Silver got back on his feet, a very bad thought popped into his head. Well, a bad one and a good one. Gill was already starting to get up when Silver grabbed the boy by his neck and pulled him in for a very deep kiss. Gill's body quickly submitted to having Silver's lips against his, while Victor tried not to rip this boy from his son. Lyra only whooped for her brother, while Molly was left in shock.

Pulling away from a dazed Gill, Silver began to smile wickedly. Silver saluted the Champion and made his way passed all of the Gym Leader as he left town.

Gill began to regain his composure, while noticing the mad look on his dad's face. "He's nicer to me then he acts to you," Gill said, simply. "Don't be too hard on him, dad. His father…his father was a very mean man."

"I still don't like that kid," Victor said, bitterly. "Anyways, Gill…I think you should continue your journey on your own. You've proven yourself more than capable of taking care of yourself."

Gill smiled, happy to see that his father thought so highly of him now. He hugged his father and reclaimed his backpack from Lyra when Jasmine stopped him from leaving.

The shy Gym Leader opened her bag and took out a Pokémon Egg. Gill was surprised to see this egg, which Jasmine handed over to him. The yellow and black egg was awfully pretty, almost as pretty as the egg that Togepi hatched from. "My two Pikachu gave me this egg, I think it might contain their baby," said the Gym Leader. "You should take good care of this Pokémon, Gill. I could think of no better Trainer out there to raise this little one."

Gill couldn't help but to blush as he took the egg. He thanked Jasmine with a hug before looking around to the others. Lyra and Brendon waved him goodbye, their journey together finally coming to an end. Molly kissed her son goodbye, while wishing him luck on the rest of his journey. Gill made eye contact with Clair who began to smirk at him. Their battle would come very soon.

Now that the goodbyes were done, Gill Hart finally resumed his journey with only his Pokémon at his side.


	21. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: **So I survived my vacation and I'm ready to get back to writing for you people. I hope you enjoy this update. I'm only planning about thirteen to twelve chapters left for this fic. Woo. So anyways...read and review!**  
**

**Chapter Twenty:**

Gill's journey across Johto finally resumed with a great bang!

The boy had overcome Team Rocket's takeover of Johto with the help of his father, the Elite Four, the Gym Leaders, various Trainers, his family, and his friends. Mostly importantly, Gill survived that horrible ordeal with Silver at his side. Despite the fake betrayal and learning that Silver was the son of Giovanni, Gill still found himself all the more in love with Silver. For the for one of the few times since he knew him, Gill felt as if he saw the real Silver. The Silver that had been buried behind walls of pain seemed to shine for a brief moment where he completely took down Team Rocket.

The memory of yesterday was still strong in Gill's mind. Even as he returned to Mahogany Town to cross the Ice Path to Blackthorn City, Gill was enthralled by yesterday's adventure. He could barely focus on the incoming cold win that blew in just as he crossed Route 44 to Blackthorn City.

Now, he also had a precious little egg to take care of. Gill carried the Pokémon Egg that he received from Jasmine, while wondering what kind of Pokémon might be in there. Sure, Jasmine said it was her Pikachu that had this egg, but that might be a trick. Either way, Gill was just dying with anticipation to see what new friend would be inside of the egg.

So jumbled up with all of his thoughts, the young Trainer didn't even hear the footsteps sneaking up behind him.

Someone who Gill had run into a while back was slowly creeping up behind him. His exotic skin flashed as the sunlight kissed it gently. A black ponytail flew behind him as the breeze would kick it up, while he so desperately attempted to sneak up on the Champion's son. He didn't get a chance to speak to him earlier since all the chaos going on at Goldenrod City, but he did hear all the glorious news of how Gill and a red headed Trainer defeated Team Rocket.

Deciding just to end the tension, Julian jumped towards Gill where he landed only a foot behind him. The sudden noise though was enough to startle Gill out of his skin as he immediately thought that Team Rocket had came back after him for revenge. Armed with a Pokéball, Gill spun his body around only to see the boy he met from the National Park all those months ago.

"What are you doing here, Julian?" Gill said, barely remembering his name.

Julian just bore a mischievous smile on his face as he hooked his arm around Gill's neck. "Well, I could ask you the same thing, Hero of Goldenrod!" laughed the older boy. Gill looked lost by that last bit so Julian sighed as he prepared to explain. "Your name is already blowing up across the entire country. Everyone is going on about how the Champion's son has been battling against Team Rocket for months now. After what happened yesterday, they started calling you the Hero of Goldenrod."

Gill blushed as he was unaware of such a title. He hadn't been paying attention to the news and nobody gave him a heads up that something like that happened. Normally, his parents or Lyra or even Professor Elm would tell him something of that magnitude had happened. Gill had been completely blindsided by that one, something that Julian could obviously tell.

"So, I'm guessing you're going to Blackthorn City to compete against Clair, right?" Julian asked.

"Yeah," Gill finally said, regaining his lost composure. "It's the last Gym Badge I need before I can challenge the Elite Four."

Julian's eyes lit up with that announcement. His green eyes practically sparkled as he released Gill and jumped in front of the boy. "No way!" he shouted, cheerfully. "You're already so close to battling the Elite Four. Please tell me you're joking! Damn… it's no wonder Team Rocket didn't stand a chance against you."

"Umm…Julian, did they mention anything about Silver?" asked Gill.

"Who is that?"

"He's kind of…kind of my boyfriend, I think," Gill admitted. "But he was with me when I faced off against Team Rocket yesterday. He was the one who finished them off in the end. Did they mention anything about him?"

"The cranky red head who almost killed me at the National Park?" Julian asked, trying to remember Silver. Gill nodded his head, which struck a chord in Julian's memory. "Yeah, they mentioned him too. Nobody knows his name though so they started calling him the Red Robin."

"That's kind of a weird name," Gill said, "I hope he hasn't heard that one yet."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he'd kill whoever came up with it," laughed Julian. "In fact, I think it was the Goldenrod City Gym Leader who gave him the title. Don't ask me how she came up with that one; it's just a rumor so far."

Gill fought the urge to laugh with Julian.

The boy soon learned that Julian was heading over to Blackthorn City was well. So they both just decided to traverse the Ice Path together to keep one another company. And to make sure that neither one froze to death in the freezing caverns.

Outside the entrance to the Ice Path, Gill and Julian quickly added a layer to the clothes they were already wearing. The both put on a pair of long-sleeved shirts with some tights to cover the lower parts of their bodies. It was all just a precaution to make certain that they wouldn't freeze to death inside of the cave.

Gill wrapped the egg around in a spare sweater he had with him. He tried to bundle it up nice and tight so that the egg wouldn't freeze to death. Once he was certain that the egg was warm, Gill remembered how he temporarily removed Pidgeot from his party just to take care of this egg. He missed his flying companion, but he knew that he needed to take good care of this egg just like he promised he would to Jasmine.

When they finished getting ready, Gill and Julian entered the freezing cavern together.

* * *

The moment they came inside, the cold wind already blew against their skin. It was enough to make the both of them shiver as they fought the urge to turn back. They just had to suck it up and push onward to make it out of the freezing cavern as quickly as they could.

Julian took the lead since he had already been in the cave a few times before. He had family in Blackthorn that he was visiting before taking off to compete against Chuck over in Cianwood City. He was working on earning his sixth Gym Badge, while Gill was working on his eight Badge, something that the older boy was a tad bit jealous of.

Then again, what else could be expected from the son of the Champion? Julian tried not to pry on that bit since he kind figured that it would be rude to rub that in Gill's face. He had no idea what type of shadow that Gill was trying to escape from that his father casted over him.

Instead, he tried to get Gill talking about the big showdown with Team Rocket.

"I was there," Julian said to Gill. "I was over in Goldenrod City during the takeover."

Gill followed Julian down a slippery slope, cradling the egg against his chest. He made it down to the slope without any trouble thanks to the boots he had with him. "Team Rocket didn't do anything to hurt you, did they?" asked the Trainer. The reason why he asked was because he remembered the faces of the people Team Rocket kidnapped. Another reason was because he could still see the dying face of the man that Team Rocket murdered before his very eyes.

The image of the dying man would forever haunt Gill Hart.

"No, I managed to hold my own through the worst of it," said Julian. "My Pokémon were able to protect me and it didn't hurt to have my boyfriend there as well. We were able to make it to the Pokémon Center just in time to have your dad bark all those orders. We pretty much just stuck around the center and the hospital after that to help defend them both."

Gill tried to remember if he saw Julian amongst the crowd of Trainers. There had been so many Trainers over in Goldenrod City though, it would've been impossible to pick Julian's face from amongst all of them.

"I'm not going to lie," Julian continued to speak, "I was terrified. That was the scariest day of my life, yet it was nothing compared to what you went through. You actually took on the higher ups of Team Rocket, while the rest of us fought the Grunts. I have no idea what that must've felt like to you, how scared you might have been."

There was a lot of truth behind that statement.

Gill had never been so scared in his life, not even when he had been attacked in the Ilex Forest. That moment was nothing compared to facing Team Rocket in its entirety on his own. He was so grateful to know that Silver had been there for him, to protect him. If it wasn't for Silver then Gill didn't even want to think how things could've possibly ended that day. He might not even be here right now if it wasn't for Silver.

"I was scared like you wouldn't believe," confessed Gill, "but I had Silver with me. He didn't let Team Rocket lay a hand on me."

"Sounds like we both have really good boyfriends," laughed Julian.

That was something Gill couldn't disagree with at all.

They continued their walk through the Ice Path, passing by numerous Ice-type Pokémon in the process. A few Delibird flew above their heads to some other part of the cave. Zubat were always present in these places so their presence was to be expected. Gill was even surprised to see a Jynx walking around the icy caves with chunks of ice hovering behind her as she used Psychic.

It was all pretty interesting to Gill as he followed Julian to the lower part of the first floor.

About half a dozen boulders stood around different openings in the ground. Julian informed Gill that some of these boulders needed to be moved around to make it easier to navigate across the lower floors. Gill decided to use his Tyrogue for that one. His little Fighting-type emerged from the Pokéball, happy to be of service to his Trainer.

Tyrogue shoved the boulders across the chilly ground so that they would fall down the pits. They waited until they heard a slight crash, which informed them that the path was made. Gill had Tyrogue do this about two more times just like Julian told him to.

Once that was business was done, Gill recalled Tyrogue into the Pokéball. The boys resumed their journey through the Ice Path, while Gill cradled the shivering egg. Gill was worried that the egg was too cold so he called out his Typhlosion out to help him out. He handed the egg over to his giant Fire-type that Julian was in awe of, so that the egg could be kept warm.

Typhlosion kept the egg against his body, using the enormous amount of body heat that he had to keep the egg warm. The egg responded well to this as the warmth was able to make this journey a little more pleasant. Gill was just too skinny to keep the egg completely warm.

As they made it to the second basement floor, Gill heard Typhlosion call out to his Trainer. The boys stopped moving and went over to Typhlosion who handed the egg over to Gill. The egg was returned to Gill's hands just in time too as the egg shook uncontrollably. Gill feared the worst as he pressed the egg against his chest, holding it as close as he could just as the first crack came.

It was then that Gill realized that the egg wasn't in danger, but it was hatching.

Julian was fascinated by this sight as well since he never a Pokémon's egg hatch before.

The egg kept on cracking until it was completely consumed by a electrical glow. Gill's eyes lit up just as the rest of the egg disappeared to reveal the Baby Pokémon that had been growing inside of it. The big black and yellow ears were the first thing that Gill noticed the minute the glow had dimmed out enough for him to see. Then came the rest of the yellow fur along with the big, pink cheeks and the black tail.

The Pokémon that hatched was so small that it reminded Gill of his Togepi. This Pokémon was just as adorable too once he finally opened his big, black eyes to look up to his Trainer. "Pichu," a faint smile formed on the newborn's face. "Pichu?"

"Pichu," Gill said, smiling at his new Pokémon. "Well, aren't you an adorable little one."

"Pichu!" said the Pokémon, happily.

Julian leaned in with a grin on his face as he rubbed his finger against Pichu's electrical cheeks. There were small sparks that flew out that seemed to make the Pokémon giggle in the process. "I didn't expect that egg to hatch a Pichu," said Julian. "Congrats, Gill. It looks like you just made a new friend. You might want to put him in a Pokéball though so he doesn't get cold."

"You're right," Gill said, agreeing with him. He took a Pokéball from his pocket and briefly kissed Pichu on the forehead. The Pokémon kept on laughing before being sent away into his Pokéball so he wouldn't freeze in the Ice Path.

With a new friend on his side, Gill smiled as he resumed this long walk alongside Julian.

* * *

Nearing the exit to the Ice Path, Gill was excited to finally be close to his destination. Soon enough, he would get to challenge Clair for his eighth and final Gym Badge. It was something that was so exciting for Gill that he had completely tuned out what Julian had been saying to him.

Luckily for him, Julian didn't care because a frightened scream filled their eardrums. Both boys lost their focus as they tried to zero in on that scream just as the ground began to shake. They nearly lost their balance, but they managed to keep themselves from falling down before they took off running in the direction of the scream. They both took out a Pokéball, ready to face the worst that the Ice Path had to offer.

When they reached their destination, they both caught sight of a young woman running in their direction. She was dressed up in a pink and green kimono that looked insanely familiar to Gill. Yes, he had seen that kimono multiple times during his journey across Johto. This was another one of Ecruteak City's Kimono Girls.

This Kimono Girl, Sayo, was running as fast as she could just when her foot got stuck in the ice. At that point, she preceded to fall to the ground until she landed with a painful thump. That's when Julian and Gill heard the cries of an angry Pokémon that began to stamped towards them. Gill scanned the giant Pokémon that was rapidly approaching them now.

The Pokémon had thick, brown fur with a smaller coat of white fur around his face. The sharp tusks that came out from his face made the Pokémon look all the more intimidating as Gill finished scanning all the data. He soon learned that this was a Mamoswine, the evolved form of Piloswine and the fully evolved form of the Swinub evolution line. To put this nicely, Gill could easily tell that they were about to be fucked so hard by this Ice-type.

Julian didn't seem to feel the same as Gill did. He just tossed his Pokéball forward, releasing the Pokémon that was contained within it. "Ninetales use Fire Spin to create a distraction!" shouted the Trainer. The Pokéball opened to release Ninetales which turned out to be this Pokémon with luxurious, golden-white fur that literally had nine tails. Each tail was dipped with a bit of orange too.

Ninetales stood on her paws as she took in a deep breath. Fire began to form as she released a small, vortex of fiery embers after the Mamoswine. Before the giant could crush the Kimono Girl, Fire Spin crashed into Mamoswine, which gave Julian some time to help the girl up to her feet.

Gill was impressed by Julian's save, which motivated him to move. He knew that Mamoswine would be too difficult for Ninetales to defeat on her own so he released his Typhlosion. Two Fire-types were better than one, which practically ensured an easy victory. At least, that's what Gill was hoping for as he told Typhlosion to use Rock Smash to push Mamoswine back.

Typhlosion obeyed his Trainer's command as fire spewed from his back. He built up his strength before knocking Mamoswine across the chilly ground. Mamoswine gave out an angry cry before he crashed against the wall, looking slightly disoriented.

That didn't last long though, but it was good enough for Julian to help Sayo up.

"You really should be a little more careful, miss," said Julian. "I don't even want to know what you did to make a Mamoswine mad at you."

"I'd like to know what I did though," said the Kimono Girl. "Either way, I'm just glad that you're boys showed up when you did. My Pokémon wouldn't have stood a chance against Mamoswine."

Julian just smirked as he took that as a definite compliment. Gill rolled his eyes at his temporary companion before taking a good look at the girl's ankle. Meanwhile, Mamoswine was getting back on his feet, ready to take on Typhlosion and Ninetales yet again.

This time though, Mamoswine would be ready for them. Using his Ground-type powers, Mamoswine called forth Ancientpower to attack the two Fire-types. The boulders began to rise up around Mamoswine, which he launched after the two Pokémon. Typhlosion took the bulk of the damage as he used his stronger defensive abilities to protect Ninetales.

With Ancientpower dying down, Typhlosion dropped to the ground in exhaustion. He could no longer move, which meant that Ninetales would be on her own. Julian was ready for this though as he shouted at his Pokémon to use Fire Blast on the Mamoswine. Ninetales only nodded her head before fire began to surge throughout her body.

For a moment, her nine tails began to spark with fire. The fire then circled around her body until it created a large ring. Ninetales then used her power to channel the fire into a fiery symbol that she released against the Mamoswine. Fire Blast was charged at full power, making the hit a critical one as it took Mamoswine down with a single blow.

After that, Mamoswine retreated deeper into the Ice Path, no longer wanting anything to do with these kids.

Sayo gave out a brief sigh as she got back up. Gill had wrapped her ankle up with a small brace, making it easier for her to move on her own. "Once again, thank you both for coming to my rescue," said the Kimono Girl. "I wish the both of you the best of luck on your journeys."

She left the boys after that, allowing them both to recall their Pokémon.

With her gone, the boys resumed their journey until they finally reached the end of the Ice Path.

It felt a little anti-climactic since Gill was half-expecting another attack at the exit. He was kind of disappointed though when he saw nothing but the mountains that surrounded Blackthorn City. The cool air pinched his skin, making him shiver so slightly, but nothing compared to the freezing feeling he had at the Ice Path.

Julian only nodded his head as he took a couple steps forward. He stretched his arms for a moment before turning back to look at Gill. "Well, thanks for the company, Gill," laughed Julian. "We should really get lost together again. Hopefully, next time, we won't be attacked by a Mamoswine again."

"One can hope," laughed Gill.

"Good luck at your Gym Battle!" Julian shouted as he already took off for the city.

Gill nodded his head as he took a moment to just pause.

That moment ended though and Gill started to run towards Blackthorn City where the final Gym waited for him.

* * *

Of course, Gill felt that he was more than ready to take on Clair for the last of his Gym Badges, but he owed it to his Pokémon to let them rest at the Pokémon Center. He didn't give them much time to rest since the epic battle against Team Rocket so he figured that a good night's rest was in order for all of them. It would also give him a little more time to better strategies to battle against the terrifying Dragon-type specialist. Gill could still remember some of the vicious moves that Clair used against his father back in their Gym Battle.

That chilling memory made Gill shiver as he sat in the lobby of the Pokémon Center.

During that mental moment, Nurse Joy informed Gill that his Pokémon were recovering nicely. His team just needed some sleep more than anything to heal from their fatigue. She also did a check-up on the newly hatched Pichu. She declared that he was a perfectly, healthy Pokémon, which came as a relief to Gill. He didn't want to tell Jasmine that he screwed up with Pichu before he even hatched and/or after just hatching.

So with his Pokémon being taken care of, Gill decided to snag some dinner to help relax before his Gym Battle. He would wait until tomorrow to take on Clair, but he still needed to get into that battling zone. This was his final Gym Battle, after all. Gill wanted to go out with a bang, he wanted to prove himself to be a worthy Trainer, a better Trainer then even his father was.

While Gill was lost in thought, he was completely oblivious to the gray eyes that watched him from the buffet line. Gill had completely zoned out with his hazel eyes blindly staring at the bowl of fried rice and grilled chicken in front of him. The cute way that Gill's lips slightly parted made Silver smirk as he decided to surprise Gill at his table.

Silver dropped his food in front of Gill, which still failed to gain the boy's attention. Gill was completely lost in thought. Silver sighed before taking a seat where he began to pick at his pasta until Gill finally returned to reality. When Gill did, the boy nearly jumped out of his seat as he took notice to Silver's presence.

"What are you doing here!" shouted Gill.

"Eating, like everyone else," Silver said, bluntly.

Gill rolled his eyes as he lowered his heartbeat. He slowly began to pick at his food, all while avoiding the jerkiness behind Silver's comment. "What are you doing in Blackthorn, I mean," said Gill. "I thought you would've taken off to parts unknown. I was half-expecting to never see you again after what happened yesterday."

"You should know better than that, Gill," said Silver. "I find you far too amusing, plus, you'd get killed without me watching your back. I see you're traveling alone again. That's good, so your father deemed you responsible enough to be out here on your own?"

"Something like that," Gill said, pulling his lips to the corner of his face. "I'm here for my last Badge. What brought you to town?"

Silver remained silent as he finished the bit of pasta that was on his fork. He paused for a moment before finally taking a Pokéball from his pocket, handing it over to Gill. "We need to make a trade," Silver said, simply. "Or more appropriately, we need to make a trade back. I want my Golbat back like I'm sure that you want your Togekiss."

The Pokéball on the table no doubt once belonged to Gill. The boy recognized it as he remembered the Pokémon that hatched from the egg all those months ago. Gill's fingers touched the Pokéball for a moment as he remembered the last time he used her in a battle.

"You're tired of her or something?" Gill asked, sounding slightly offended.

"She was a great addition to my team," said Silver, "but I think you'll need her more. Besides, I have plans for my Golbat. I'm going to make him evolve so that he'll be strong enough to battle the Elite Four once I get the rest of the team ready."

Gill nodded his head, admiring Silver for already planning for the future battle. However, a thought crossed Gill's mind that would prove to be a snag in Silver's plans. "You are aware that Golbat can only evolved through being tamed, right?" asked Gill.

"My Golbat is plenty tamed," said Silver. "Unless you turned him into some kind of wild beast."

"No," Gill said, defending himself. "I only mean that Golbat only evolved into Crobat from their level of happiness. By the way you use your Pokémon; I doubt that they're very happy. Even Dragon Master Lance told you to be a little kinder to your Pokémon."

Silver only rolled his eyes at the foolishness that Gill spoke of. He pushed Togekiss's Pokéball back to Gill, saying that they were making the trade. Gill complied and told Silver that they would notify Nurse Joy so that she was aware of what had happened.

The rest of their dinner, the two boys sat in complete silence.

Gill felt he had said something to push Silver away, while Silver was left thinking about what Gill had said.

* * *

It was almost evening that next day when Gill finally pulled himself together to take on Clair for his final Gym Battle.

Standing outside of the Blackthorn City Gym, Gill found himself slightly paralyzed as a strange fear crippled him. It wasn't so much that he was afraid, it had more to do with what his journey had came to. This would be the end of the beginning for him if he could defeat Clair today. Tomorrow, he would be bound to battle the Elite Four, the strongest Trainers in Johto and Kanto.

Finding the strength within himself, Gill finally pushed himself forward. He took a few steps forward until the automatic doors to the Gym opened before him. The minute he stepped inside, the doors sealed themselves off and Gill was locked within the Gym of the strongest of all the Johto Gym Leaders.

The lava colored walls and the frightening images of dragons were enough to make Gill shake a little in his sneakers. He kept his cool through as he walked towards the ring where Clair was already waiting for his arrival. She was still dressed in the clothes similar to the ones she wore during the Battle for Goldenrod City. Her black cape flew behind her as she held onto one Pokéball in her hand.

"Gill Hart," said the blue haired woman. "I have been expecting you since I heard you were taking the Gym Leader Challenge. I've been very curious to see what the Champion's son was capable of, especially since the Dragon Sages have bestowed upon you a Dragon Pokémon."

"I hope that I don't disappoint you, Clair," said Gill. "I have traveled all the way from New Bark Town, battling seven Gym Leaders before you. You are my final challenge. When I defeat you, I will finally be able to take on the Elite Four."

A soft smirk began to form on Clair's face as she held up the Pokéball. The referee quickly took his place at the ring, while her end began to open up to reveal a pool of water. Meanwhile, the roof opened up as well to allow the setting sun to enter. "We shall see how this fantasy of yours plays out," said Clair. "Remember, young man, that I can hold my own against even the Pokémon League's Elite Four. Are you still sure you wish to take me on?"

"Now more than ever!" Gill shouted, taking out a Pokéball.

"Fine, let's do it," Clair said, smiling. "As a Gym Leader, I will use my full power against any opponent!"

"This is a four-on-four match!" shouted the referee. "No mid-battle substitutions allowed. Gym Leader and Challenger, send out your Pokémon!"

Clair tossed her Pokéball to release her Gyarados into the pool on her end. The frightening, blue scaled Pokémon didn't seem so terrifying compared to the Red Gyarados that Silver caught. Compared to that, this one was nothing so Gill was more than ready for this one. He tossed his Pokéball forward to release his Togekiss for their first Gym Battle together since Goldenrod City.

Togekiss took to the sky as she happily rejoined her Trainer in his biggest battle yet. She flew over Gyarados head just as the match officially begun. Gyarados already tried to take a Bite out of her with that nasty attack; luckily she managed to fly away from the set of fangs.

Clair was ready for any airborne threats though. She called for Gyarados to use Twister to tangle up Togekiss from escaping. Gyarados created this mini gust of wind that tried to pull Togekiss into this strong force of wind. However, Togekiss to be taken in without a fight, so to counter this, she angled her wings to cut through the Twister.

As she moved through the Twister, Togekiss sliced through it to meet up with Gyarados within the storm. Gill knew that this would be the perfect moment to use one of the Electric attacks that Silver taught her. "Shock Wave!" shouted Gill. Togekiss nodded her head as she gathered a burst of electricity around her body. Once she was within range, she released the electrical Shock Wave to put a serious shock into Gyarados.

The Twister was blown apart and Gyarados cried out in pain before she completely fell into the water.

Clair didn't seem to surprised though, despite that humiliating easy defeat. It was only the first round though, she would allow Gill to have this win then she would crush him so easily. "Return Gyarados!" shouted Clair. The referee declared Gill the winner of this round where he then called for Clair to send her next Pokémon out. She did just that, this time sending out a Dragonair to do battle.

The pool was closed while Dragonair briefly hovered for a moment. Dragonair then coiled herself into a ball as Togekiss flew above. Clair had a smile on her face as she felt confident about the choice she made. Gill knew this wouldn't be an easy fight since Dragonair was all Dragon, which meant it would be hard to hurt.

So the next round was ready to begin.

Dragonair quickly took to the offensive by using Aqua Tail against Togekiss. By smashing her tail into the ground, she was able to generate a burst of water that rose up into the air and narrowly missed Togekiss. The water did, however, explode into itself to splash against Togekiss's wing, causing her to lose some of her stability.

Clair knew to take advantage of this brief moment of weakness. "Dragon Pulse!" shouted the Gym Leader. Her Pokémon knew exactly what to do at that moment. Dragonair gathered a burst of violet colored energy around her mouth while the jewels on her body began to glow wildly. Then came a blast of light that shot out from Dragonair and was heading straight for Togekiss.

Gill tried to have his Pokémon dodge the attack, but Dragon Pulse came too quick. Dragon Pulse crashed into Togekiss and nearly took her down for the count. She crashed to the ground with a rough landing, but she managed to pull herself together to launch an Aura Sphere. This attack came so surprisingly fast that no one expected such viciousness from Togekiss. The blue sphere of energy zoomed from Togekiss's head and smashed into Dragonair, causing her to slide a few feet back, while doing a good chuck of damage.

Togekiss struggled to take flight once more, but she fought through the pain she felt. That was one good thing about the training she had with Silver. She learned to take the pain and to come back stronger from it, to never give up until you gave more then what you had within you. Gill seemed to feel this fighting spirit and was a little impressed by Silver's aggressive training. It might actually help him win this match.

"Impressive," Clair said, shrugging her shoulders. "Not impressive enough though. Dragon Pulse, again Dragonair!"

"Togekiss, use Aura Sphere at full power!" shouted Gill.

Both Pokémon responded well to the commands of their Trainers as they used up their strength for this next attack. Dragonair called forth the familiar violet energy, while Togekiss briefly spun around in the air with a blue sphere forming. Dragonair fired Dragon Pulse out from her mouth, while Togekiss smashed the Aura Sphere with her wing.

As the two attacks passed one another at remarkable speed, their attacks hit the targets. Togekiss got blown out from the sky by a second Dragon Pulse. Meanwhile, Dragonair had gotten knocked down by the second Aura Sphere. Smoke briefly blinded everyone as the collision of the two attacks left the fate of the Pokémon unknown for a moment.

Once the smoke was cleared, everyone saw that both Dragonair and Togekiss were no longer able to battle. Both Pokémon were completely unconscious and depleted of every bit of strength. As the referee called this round a draw, Clair and Gill swapped their Pokémon out for the third round. Clair had two losses, while Gill had only one. Gill still had the upper hand, one that he was going to have to fight to keep against this Dragon Master.

Clair and Gill sent out their next Pokémon, which ironically turned out to be a pair of Dragonair.

With both of their Dragonair out to battle, Gill saw that this match would be a little tricky. He was well aware that Dragon Pokémon were vulnerable to other Dragon-type attacks. It was strange, but it was something that Gill knew he had to exploit to stand a chance. He was well aware too that Clair would use this to her advantage as well so he needed to step it up a notch.

The enemy Dragonair was ready to go as soon as the referee called the match to begin. Clair's Dragonair started things off by trying to use Thunder Wave to paralyze Gill's Dragonair. However, Gill's Dragonair was ready to block the attack by releasing a Thunder Wave of her own. The two attacks smashed into one another, cancelling each other out before any damage could be done.

It turned out that was only a distraction for Gill though. Clair had her Dragonair move in for the kill by using Slam to crash into his Dragonair. The moment that Clair's Dragonair sprang forward, she crashed into Gill's Dragonair to do a bit of damage. Gill's Dragonair exploited the closeness though as she recovered from the attack. Gill had her use Aqua Tail, much like Clair used during the last round.

Gill's Dragonair smashed her water covered tail against Clair's Dragonair. The close range of the attack was nicely done, which sent the Gym Leader's Pokémon flying back. Gill was quick to respond to this advantage as well. He called for his Dragonair to use Dragon Rage to put some more points on their scoreboard. Dragonair did just that as she released a burst of angry, draconic energy from her mouth.

Dragon Rage waddled away more of the Dragonair's health. That seemed to make Clair very angry as she shouted at her Dragonair to use Fire Blast. Gill had already seen this attack used once before so he knew the dangerous affects of it. As Dragonair was gearing up to use that attack, Gill had his Dragonair use Surf in hopes of cancelling it out.

A wave of water began to burst forth from the ground, which Gill's Dragonair channeled into a protective attack. Clair's Dragonair was ready to use Fire Blast though which would test the strength of the Surf. The fiery symbol flew across the arena just as Gill's Dragonair released the Surf to do its job. Fire and water collided against one another, blowing each other apart, leaving both Pokémon unharmed by the attacks.

Gill sighed for a moment, but the battle wasn't over yet. He needed to move fast with his secret weapon. "Dragon Tail!" shouted Gill. Dragonair responded to his commands as she propelled herself across the arena. With her tail glowing strong, Dragonair swung it around until it smashed into the body of Clair's Dragonair.

Lucky for Gill, this attack turned out to be a critical hit and did its job as it defeated Clair's Pokémon.

"Dragonair is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Leader Clair, please send out your final Pokémon!"

Clair was really fuming at this point. She had one fist clenched as she recalled her third defeated Pokémon. She was furious that some kid really thought that he could defeat her, her, the Dragon Master! How dare he think that? How dare he think that he could humiliate her in such a way!

"This is where the real battle begins!" shouted Clair. "Kingdra, end this brat!"

She called her final Pokémon just as part of the ring opened up to create the pool. The Pokémon that came out was, to no surprise, a Dragon-type with a dual Water-type. Gill wished he still had Togekiss at this point, but he had plenty of confidence in his Dragonair though.

The round soon began with Clair going on an all-out offensive with her Kingdra. She would show no mercy to this boy who dreamt of dishonoring her. She would not allow herself to be defeated again, not by the son of that man who so humiliated her all those years ago.

"Hydro Pump!" shouted Clair. Using one of the strongest Water-type attacks, Clair truly went all out for this fight. She was throwing everything out just at the beginning.

Kingdra took in a deep breath before firing a wicked torrent of water from her hose. The attack cracked part of the arena and moved with such speed that Dragonair barely managed to get away before it was too late. Gill even had to move to avoid part of the viciousness of Clair's attack. He really wasn't digging this crazy, angry woman one bit.

"Dragon Rage!" Gill shouted, hoping to turn the tide a little.

His Dragonair did just that too. She fired Dragon Rage from her body and managed to put a bit of damage to Kingdra. But that little bit of damage wouldn't be nowhere near enough to beat her. Clair was on the war-path, which meant that only the strongest of attacks would be able to work against her at this point. Gill was just happy to know that he was able to do some damage against her as he shouted at Dragonair to use Aqua Tail, in hopes of distracting the Gym Leader.

Clair wouldn't be distracted by such cheap tricks though. She ruthlessly spoke out two, fatal words that would end Gill's hopes. "Hyper Beam," she said, calmly. Kingdra obeyed as she gathered a vicious blast of energy. Even as Aqua Tail was coming in for a landing, Clair feared nothing. Kingdra fired the golden beam of energy from her hose and easily sliced through the Aqua Tail.

Gill's eyes lit up with shock just as Hyper Beam came into contact with Dragonair. He had never seen such a strong Hyper Beam before. Correction, the last person he saw use one that powerful was Lance.

Dragonair had been defeated, which meant Gill only had two Pokémon left to battle with. Gill was practically frozen as he tried to come up with a way to counter that Hyper Beam. He couldn't think of one though, unfortunately. The only thing that came to mind was to use speed to his advantage so he had no other choice. He took out a Pokéball and released his Eevee to take on Clair.

"I'm counting on you, Eevee," said Gill. "Let's battle like there is no tomorrow!"

Eevee nodded his head in agreement just as the moonlight began to peak through the sky. At that moment, Eevee's entire body began to glow as the light of evolution took place. Gill began to smile as he witnessed his Eevee evolving before his very eyes.

Once the light was gone, Gill saw the taller Pokémon that took his place. His fur was completely black with yellow colored rings throughout different ends of his body. His red eyes brightly focused in on Kingdra as this evolved Pokémon readied to battle against Clair.

"Umbreon," Gill said, smiling, "the Moonlight Pokémon."

With a Dark-type on his side, Gill honestly felt a tad more confident about this battle.

Clair didn't seem so impressed by the sudden evolution. In fact, she was awfully cocky that it wouldn't help Gill win this match at all. But she would have to wait a moment before she could strike again. Hyper Beam took a minute to recharge, leaving her Kingdra vulnerable to an immediate attack.

Gill knew this so he quickly exploited this window of opportunity. He shouted at his newly evolved Umbreon to use Bite against her. Umbreon took off running towards the pool then sank his fangs into her scales. He splashed into the water in the process, allowing himself to briefly sink into Kingdra's territory. But the Bite had caused Kingdra to flinch so it gave Umbreon the time he needed to swim back to land.

Kingdra responded to this by using Hydro Pump once more. The torrent of gallons upon gallons of water came rushing towards Umbreon in rapid speed. Umbreon's speed had gained a serious boost upon evolution. So he was able to run away from the water that was chasing after him until it finally began to run out.

Umbreon used this to his advantage as he took off charging towards Kingdra. Clair figured what the boy and his Pokémon were planning so she had Kingdra use Smokescreen to slow things down. The thick, cloud of smoke blinded Gill from seeing, but not Umbreon. Being a Dark-type, Umbreon had the ability to see through the darkness. The yellow rings around his body gave him the ability to see through the Smokescreen, which allowed him to lay a Quick Attack on Kingdra.

Kingdra spun around in the water, while Umbreon through himself back towards the land. Gill was seriously impressed by Umbreon's talents as Clair was growling in frustration. Gill took a quick peek at the rest of Umreon's moves and decided to use Confuse Ray next. Umbreon did just that with his red eyes turning to a clear blue as he locked Kingdra in a dizzying spell.

Kingdra spun herself around in the water until Clair was able to get her Pokémon to snap out of it. Clair called for a second Hyper Beam that was charging up in a matter of seconds. Gill knew they didn't have much time so he did the first thing that came to mind. He shouted at Umbreon to use Shadow Ball against Kingdra. Umbreon knew exactly what Gill was plotting so he charged up the ball of shadowy energy before releasing it against his opponent.

Shadow Ball flew across the ring just as Kingdra was about to attack. Before Hyper Beam could be used though, Shadow Ball crashed into Kingdra's face, causing the Hyper Beam to burst as well. The surge of energy that was released put an end to the battle with Kingdra unable to move as she floated in the water.

"The match is over! Kingdra is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Trainer Gill Hart is the winner!"

Gill immediately threw his fists into the air as he shouted with happiness. He had done it, he had defeated his final Gym Leader. Now he could move on to the Elite Four! He couldn't find the words to speak as he felt so happy. Even Umbreon was cheering them on as he spun around in the air with a happy smile on his dark face.

Clair wasn't so thrilled though and neither was she about to bow out gracefully. She smacked her feet down on the ground with her fists clenched as tightly as she could. "I will not accept this defeat!" shouted Clair. "I refuse to admit defeat from a child."

"You will, Clair!"

The strong voice that boomed throughout the Gym evaporated the anger that Clair had on her face. Her eyes widened as she stood completely still, while Gill turned to the stands to see that they had an audience. He was almost as surprised as Clair to see that it was Lance who was sitting in the stands, clearly being a witness to the battle that took place.

Lance threw his cape back as he jumped down from his seat. He stuck the perfect landing and straightened himself out as he made his approach to Gill and Clair. His eyes were locked on his cousin though with an angry scowl on his face. "You know that Gill Hart has already been marked by the sages as a worthy Trainer," announced Lance. "He's defeated Team Rocket and he has also defeated you. Now, Clair, you will follow the rules of the Pokémon League and relinquish the Rising Badge to him this instant! Do not shame yourself or our family, Clair, by withhold what Gill earned."

A sigh escaped Clair as she hung her head down in shame. Lance was right about it all, she was acting disgraceful. She was shamming herself and all the other Dragon Masters before her. She nodded her head as she removed the Badge that Gill had proven himself worthy of earning.

Clair approached Gill and his Umbreon with badge in hand. She presented it to him so that Gill could see the black, dragon-shaped Badge. "This is yours, Gill Hart," Clair said, calmly. Gill silently accepted the Badge with a joyful smile on his face. "With the Rising Badge and all the other Badges, you will be able to compete at the Indigo Plateau." She then retrieved somewhat, purple colored disk from her person and handed it to Gill as well. "This contains the TM move Dragon Pulse. Use it well. I'm sure it will help you in your future battles."

"Thank you," Gill said, accepting both gifts. He knew this must be exceptionally hard for Clair since she hated losing. It made since she acted with his dad when he defeated her all those years ago.

Clair bowed out now, while Lance took his cousin's place.

The Champion had a smile on his face as well as he set his eyes on Gill. He took notice of Umbreon as well, seeing that this Pokémon would be a challenge in the future. "Congratulations, Gill," said Lance. "You have earned your final Gym Badge. With that, now you can challenge the Elite Four. If you can defeat them then I shall be your final test. If you're fortunate enough to defeat me then you shall be the Champion of the Indigo Plateau."

Lance left Gill with those words, making Gill think about everything that both the Champion and Gym Leader just said.

On the palm of his hand was his mark of victory.

Gill Hart was now the proud owner of eight Gym Badges. It had been almost six months since his journey across Johto began and now he possessed all the Gym Badges from the eight Gym Leaders. With the Rising Badge now in his possession, Gill finally qualified to take the Elite Four challenge and possibly become the next Champion for the Johto Region.

Although this was a thrilling thought, Gill knew that he could not rush to the Indigo Plateau right now.

Oh no, that would be senseless. The Elite Four were the strongest Trainers in all of Johto and Kanto. The Indigo Plateau was no something to be taken lightly, Victory Road would be challenging enough as it made itself a road-block to the championship. Not just the rough terrain, but Gill had to remember that Lance would be waiting for him to take on the championship match. If Gill could defeat the Elite Four then he would battle Lance to become the next Champion of Johto.

There was no way in heck that Gill was ready for all of that right now.

Now, more than ever, Gill was well aware to the fact that he needed to trainer harder than he ever trained before.

With his mind made up, Gill was able to leave Blackthorn City to begin his training to battle the Elite Four.


	22. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: **Guys, I am so tired after writing this chapter for you. You have no idea how hard it was to write this one for you. I hope you appreciate it. I tried to make it as good as possible, while moving things between Gill and Silver forward. I also took some creativity liberty to play with the things that happen at Whirl Islands. You will see what I mean when you read this chappy! So...read and review! Or else...or else you don't want to know what I'll do to you!**  
**

**Chapter Twenty-one: **

Time slowly passed for Gill as he did his best to train for his upcoming battle against the Elite Four. Gill knew that he still wasn't quite ready yet to take on the greatest challenge for a Pokémon Trainer in Johto, so he spent most of his time training across Johto. He always made sure to fly back home though before nightfall since he was helping to look after his mother.

Molly was almost to her fifth month of pregnancy. She had just gotten an ultra sound done and the family learned that they would be welcoming another boy into their home. Gill was thrilled to be having a little brother, Lyra was grateful to know she'd be the only girl, and Victor loosened up the reigns he had on Gill. This next kid would have to worry about overprotective parents now, not Gill!

That was a little cruel to think though. Gill loved his parents, but he was happy to relinquish the baby title to his future brother. Now, he would just be the ignored middle child that nobody gave a damn about. So that pretty much meant he could run wild and do whatever it was that he pleased without any questions asked. That would be a pleasant change from the life he currently lived where he was almost watched twenty-four seven.

A month came and went, leaving Gill feeling a little more confident about his upcoming journey to Victory Road. Gill was scrolling through a map on his computer to find the best route possible. He would have to cross through a group of waterfalls that separated Johto from Kanto to reach Victory Road. Then he'd take that road all the way up to the Indigo Plateau, which would be his final test before he could challenge the Elite Four.

It was all so exciting that Gill almost didn't hear the ringing of his Pokégear.

Correction, he failed to hear the ring about two times already. This was the caller's third call, which was when Gill finally took notice of it. The boy pushed the chair away from the desk as he reached over to grab his phone to see that it was Morty, the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City.

"Hello?" Gill said, politely.

"Finally!" came Morty's voice. "I've been trying to call you forever now. I thought you fell down a well or something."

Gill tried not to laugh at Morty's less then witty comment. That actually did sound like something that might happen to him, but Morty didn't need to know that. "Well, what can I do for you, Mr. Gym Leader?" asked Gill. "I'm busy preparing to battle the Elite Four. Unless this will help with my training then I'm sorry to say that I'm a little busy."

"Oh trust me, Gill, this will more than help," said Morty. "Just meet me at the Pokémon Center in Ecruteak City by tomorrow. That should be plenty of time for you to prepare, right?"

"I suppose," said Gill. "Why? What do you have planned for me?"

"It's a surprise, Gill," said Morty. "Don't ask me to ruin the surprise!"

With that said, the line went dead as the Gym Leader ended the call. Gill's jaw hung a little before he finally decided to push end on his own phone. He dropped the Pokégear on the desk before resuming his focus back on the computer.

That was a little more than strange, in Gill's book. He honestly wondered what Morty could possibly want with him? Knowing Morty, it probably involved that damn prophecy he kept going on and on about. Well, Gill didn't care so long as it had nothing to do with that psycho Eusine.

Gill let out a light as he scrolled through the Pokémon League website, trying his best to learn about the Elite Four and the Champion.

* * *

The next morning, Gill arrived at Ecruteak City with the help of his Pidgeot. As they discussed yesterday, Gill made his way to the Pokémon Center to meet up with Morty. Still he wondered what the Gym Leader wanted with him, but even when he called Morty again, the Gym Leader refused to hand over the information.

It was a bit frustrating, but Gill kept his mouth shut until he finally reached the center.

Morty could be seen standing outside without his scarf on today. He changed the black shirt for one that was a mixture of yellow and blue with a pair of khakis. He looked oddly comfortable, not the frightening Gym Leader of Ghost Pokémon. Gill wondered why the sudden change in wardrobe was needed, but he didn't get the chance to ask that.

"Gill Hart!" Morty cheered, excitedly. He ran over to the Trainer where he slung his arm around the boy's neck. A smile was plastered on his face, which seemed a little weird to Gill. Not that Morty being happy was weird, he just wasn't used to this touching. "I have a surprise for you. I need you to come with me to the Kimono Girls' studio. There are a few people there who you need to see."

"Um…okay?" Gill said, being dragged off by the Gym Leader.

They entered the studio in a matter of minutes to find that it was completely empty. Gill figured they were just there before business hours for the girls' performance so he wasn't too worried about that. Morty escorted Gill to the dark stage where they soon found themselves taking a seat right in front of the stage.

The lights immediately began to come on with each of the Kimono Girls standing on stage. Gill recognized each of the girls from his encounters with them on his journey. Each one bore a smile on their face as they each showed a Pokéball they held in their hands. That's what made Gill worry a little as he tried to figure out just what these girls were planning.

"Chosen Trainer," the girls said, in unison, "we have been watching you. It is time for you to take your test. Today is the day that you shall awaken Lugia."

"Lugia?" Gill said, jumping to his feet. "What the hell is going on here?"

"A prophecy is about to come true."

From behind the Kimono Girls, another woman appeared from the group. She looked significantly out of place when she was compared to the girls. Where they were all dressed in kimonos and had dark hair, this young woman wore all black and had long blonde hair.

The black coat she wore went down passed her knees with furry trails around the wrists, coattail, and the neck. She wore professional black slacks with it and a pair of sharp heels. Her entire left eye was covered by her blonde hair as it flowed freely. Black and yellow jewels were placed into her hair, adding a little more depth to this stranger.

"And who are you?" Gill asked this newcomer.

Morty began to smirk as he just leaned back against his chair. "It seems that your reputation has spread out too far yet, Champion," said the Gym Leader. Gill took notice of that word, in shock that this woman was a Champion. Morty had to speed things along if they were ever going to get anywhere. "Gill, this is Cynthia, the Champion of Sinnoh."

Gill's eyes widened as he came face-to-face with another Champion. He was in shock to actually see the famous Lady Champion, the first female Pokémon Champion in a decade. He had heard so much about her, but he had never actually seen an image of her until now.

Cynthia just bore a smile as she approached Gill. She remained calm and collected, while the boy was nervous as hell to be in this Champion's presence. "Gill Hart, the son of Champion Victor Hart," said Cynthia, "it is a pleasure." She extended her hand out to Gill, which the boy slowly accepted. "I have heard many things about you from your father and Morty. I also heard that you helped defeat Team Rocket, excellent work. The league was fearing that their criminal activities would spread to Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova."

"Glad to help," Gill said, nervously.

The Lady Champion kept her smile as she moved away from Gill and took a seat beside Morty. She crossed her leg over the other with both her hands on her knee as she sat elegantly. "Now, today begins your test," she said to Gill. "Morty has told me that you've been marked as the Chosen Trainer. You are the key to help reunite the spirits of people and Pokémon."

"Awakening the Legendary Beasts was the first step," said Morty. "We have been informed that you've obtained the Silver Wing of Lugia. With that, you'll be able to awaken Lugia from its deep slumber. First, however, you must be tested to be proven worthy of such a thing."

"And that is where we come in," said the Kimono Girls. "You must battle us to pass to Lugia."

Gill just stood there and took in everything that they had to say. It looked like being this Chosen Trainer was a lot more difficult than he expected. Besides that though, this was all just getting a little too weird for him. They were acting like this was nothing at all, but they wanted him to do something that was practically impossible.

But all that goodness that Gill was supposed to have was screaming at him right now. Gill turned to the Kimono Girls where he simply nodded his head at them. Without making a true, conscious decision, Gill accepted the challenge of the Kimono Girls. He began to walk onto their stage where the girls spread apart to give them room to battle.

Only one stood forward to challenge Gill. She had a soft smile on her face as she lifted up the Pokéball that contained her only Pokémon. "My name is Zuki, I met you previously in Violet City," said the Kimono Girl. Gill nodded his head as he recalled his vague memory of her. "In order to bring Ho-Oh and Lugia back, we needed someone with the right bond with Pokémon. We asked Mr. Pokémon to give this Mystery Egg to whoever showed true potential. The Egg was eventually handed from Mr. Pokémon to Professor Elm, and then to you. However, being pure alone will not be sufficient to face the power of the Legendary Pokémon. I must test you. Are you ready?"

"I am ready," Gill said.

Zuki sent out her Pokémon, which turned out to be none other than Umbreon. Gill already knew he had a Pokémon that could handle this. So he fished from his belt and tossed his Tyrogue out to free him. Tyrogue was just itching to battle, using those new Fighting-type attacks that Gill had taught him before.

Umbreon went after Tyrogue right away. The first move that was used turned out to be Bite. Tyrogue sprang to action to push himself away from getting bitten by the Dark-type. Gill knew his strength and he knew that he could easily overpower this Umbreon. No longer wanting to play nice, Gill had Tyrogue used Rock Smash right away.

Tyrogue waited as Umbreon came charging in after him. Tyrogue snuck underneath the incoming Dark-type with his fist glowing with energy. The Fighting-type then struck at Umbreon's belly, defeating his opponent with a single hit.

Zuki respectfully bowed to Gill then left the stage where two other girls replaced her.

"You are quite strong. You helped us out when we needed you most," said the Kimono Girl. "My name is Naoko. My eyes witnessed you defeating Team Rocket when Kurt was in trouble at Slowpoke Well. Allow me to challenge you and your Pokémon."

"You are quite the Trainer. You chased off that Team Rocket Grunt right here, saving both of us. We must thank you for that," said the Kimono Girl. "I am Miki. Allow me to join Naoko in her battle to test your bonds. This will be on a two-on-two match!"

Gill accepted the challenge as he recalled his Tyrogue, waiting for them to make the first move. Naoko went first, sending out an Espeon, a Psychic-type. Miki went next and sent a Flareon out to do battle. Gill was quickly seeing a pattern that all of these Pokémon were part of the Eevee Evolution line. The boy chose to send out his own Umbreon and his Poliwhirl out to fight these girls.

The battle began quickly after that.

The girls were smart enough to take on the opposite of the type advantages. Both Gill's Pokémon had the advantage against one of them so Espeon and Flareon went after the other. Gill wasn't about to let Naoko and Miki get away with that warn-out plan though. Oh no, he was going to take them down with the fire in his belly.

Espeon used Psybeam against Poliwhirl, while Flareon used Fire Spin on Umbreon. Both of Gill's Pokémon were able to avoid getting hit, which was good. He then sent Umbreon after Espeon and Poliwhirl at Flareon just to annoy the Kimono Girls. Naoko and Miki tried to swap away, but Gill's Pokémon had a little bit more speed and power to them.

Poliwhirl shot Flareon with a heavy Water Gun, while Umbreon used a nasty Bite against Espeon. Their two attacks were enough to knock their Pokémon out, giving Gill another victory against the Kimono Girls. Naoko and Miki respected Gill's win as they bowed to his prowess with someone else taking their place.

"Excellent fighting spirit," said the Kimono Girl. "You and that other boy saved me from that Mamoswine, I thought I was a dead until you rescued me. I am the one who skates in sandals, I am Sayo! I was listening in at the Blackthorn Gym when Champion Lance vouched for you. Allow me to challenge you and your Pokémon."

Gill only had to nod his head before a fight could start. Sayo quickly sent out her Jolteon, while Gill used his Dragonair on this one. He didn't exactly have a Pokémon that had a type advantage against Electric-types so he had to use someone who was completely resistant to them. That was something that would come to his advantage as he battle against Sayo and her Jolteon.

Jolteon was already ready to battle against Gill. The Electric-type was firing was Thunderbolt from the spikes on his body, which Dragonair took without any hesitation. Dragonair withstood everything that Jolteon had to offer her. Even when Jolteon used Pin Missile to fire a rapid barrage at her, Dragonair withstood all of that with gusto.

That's when Gill pulled the trigger with his Dragonair. He told her to use Dragon Pulse, a move that they learned from Clair. Dragonair struck the ground with her tail as she gathered a blast of violet energy in her mouth. Dragonair released the Dragon Pulse, which easily took Jolteon out with a single blow.

Sayo sighed with her loss, but she still bowed out in respect of Gill.

The final of the Kimono Girls took the stage next. She already released her Pokémon, a Vaporeon, to do battle with Gill. "I am the last one. I saw you in the Goldenrod Tunnel, going to save the director of the Radio Tower. I am Kuni," said the Kimono Girl. "I looked at you in wonder when you thwarted Team Rocket's mission to take over the Radio Tower when you battled that red headed boy. You must show your strength to me now!"

With this last challenge, Gill decided to go out with a bang. He tossed his Pokéball out, releasing his Pichu to do battle with Vaporeon. Granted, Pichu did have a type advantage, but he was still fairly inexperienced to battling. Gill had faith in his Pokémon though, which was all that mattered to him.

Vaporeon rushed in for the kill like all the others before him. Gill had Pichu use his speed and agility to grant him a greater advantage against the more experienced challenger. Pichu bounced into the air, using his tail as a springboard to do so. That angered Vaporeon as he decided to fire a Water Gun at the flying Electric-type.

Pichu moved to the side and landed, missing the immediate blast of water. Pichu had to run quickly to avoid the rest of the water that was rushing his way. The Electric-type was beginning to pant with exhaustion as this point as he tried to outdo this bigger Pokémon.

The second that Vaporeon stopped the Water Gun, Gill quickly went in for the kill. He shouted at Pichu to use Thunder Shock as quickly and as strong as he could. Pichu gathered the electricity from his body where he launched the best Thunder Shock that he could muster up against Vaporeon. He didn't let Gill down on bit too. Thunder Shock was able to knock Vaporeon out, only shocking Pichu slightly as he fell to the ground in exhaustion.

Gill recalled his tired Pichu, grateful to him for winning the battle.

Kuni respected Gill's victory and so did the remaining Kimono Girls. They all began to gather around Gill, while Morty and Cynthia continued to sit on the sidelines.

"You have earned our respect," said Kuni. "You have proven yourself worthy of making contact with Lugia. It is time that we journey to the Whirl Islands where Lugia slumbers."

Gill slowly began to nod his head when they were interrupted by a sharp voice. Gill recognized the person when the first word had escaped from his lips. "You're not going anywhere without me!" The boy smiled as he turned around to see that Silver was hiding in the back of the studio. Somehow, Gill was not surprised to see Silver there nor was he going to question what he was doing.

Gill just liked having Silver randomly showing up like that. He had gotten used to that type of thing happening to him. Besides, it had been a long month since he's seen Silver.

The Kimono Girls were about to dismiss Silver, but Gill vouched for him. The boy ran over to the red head and immediately took Silver's hand into his own. And dare Gill say it, but he could've sworn that he saw Silver smiling back at him.

* * *

The first stop was Olivine City.

Morty and Cynthia got the boys there in a flash where they met the Kimono Girls waiting for them at the docks. They all jumped into the largest and fastest boats that they could find. The Kimono Girls took on boat, while Morty got another for the rest of them.

As they sped across the ocean towards the Whirl Islands, Gill was left deep in thought as he wondered about Lugia. The Kimono Girls said that Lugia was the Guardian of the Sea, the next step in bringing forth Ho-Oh and reunited people with Pokémon. The first step was awakening the Legendary Beasts, something that Gill did in complete accident. But now he had to go deal with another Legendary Pokémon all just to do with this other super grand Legendary Pokémon.

All these dang legends were starting to make his head spin.

While Gill was dealing with that headache, Silver sat quietly on his side of the speedboat. His long arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were closed as he dove into his own thoughts. The only sign of him being alive was the way his chest would occasionally expand and contrast with his breathing.

Silver was honestly concerned about Gill's dealings with all these Legendary Pokémon. The red head couldn't just outright say it, but he felt something very special about Gill. No, it was more than special, they were real feelings that he hadn't felt since he was a child. It had been so long since Silver honestly cared another being. He was certain that his father had crushed every last bit of his softer, loving emotions when he was still young.

Yet they came back…they were focusing in on Gill too.

"There they are!" Morty announced.

Everyone looked forward to see the outline of an island. Morty pointed that island out as being the main entrance to Lugia's chamber. It would be the easiest point to find and awaken the Legendary Pokémon from his deep slumber.

Gill took the Silver Wing from his bag and watched how it glistened against the setting sun. He could almost hear something as the feather sparkled in his hand. It was almost like Lugia was already calling out to him.

"The Beast of the Sea," Cynthia said, softly. The Lady Champion rose up from her seat and found herself staring at the Whirl Islands. She was so easily fascinated by legends and myths of their world, mostly because she had seen so many come true. "At least this time we're not trying to outrun a criminal organization. You lot have it so much easier compared to the Trainers back in Sinnoh."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gill asked the Champion.

Cynthia just smiled for a moment before shaking her head. "Another time, Gill," said the Champion. "That is a story for another day. Right now, let us concern ourselves with awakening Lugia."

Gill put his curiosity on hold as he listened to the Champion's words. Lucky for him, he didn't have to try too hard because they finally arrived on the island. They were able to get passed the whirlpools that surrounded the island without too much trouble and made land.

As they entered the cave, Morty spat off a legend of how the islands were formed.

At one point, the Whirl Islands had been a single island, but the people living on the islands were fighting to divide the territory. Their fighting caused Lugia to appear who had just escaped from the Burned Tower in Ecruteak City. Lugia called forth a powerful storm, creating lightning that tore the island into four separate islands. The fighting stopped and the storm killed most of the people, but peace was found as Lugia descended into the ocean to sleep.

Now, they were going to wake that Legendary Pokémon up to say hello.

Gill was starting to have a bad feeling about this, but he kept his lips tight as they entered the island cave.

* * *

It took what felt like ages before they reached their destination. It took a lot of hiking, a lot of climbing, and a lot of breaks until they reached the very depths of Lugia's chamber. From what Gill could get from his watch, since the Pokégear wouldn't work this deep, was that it took them two hours to reach this point.

They hadn't even summoned Lugia yet and he was already completely exhausted!

Gill fought through that pain though that shot up his leg as he followed the Kimono Girls into the chamber. Morty and Cynthia were behind them, while Silver walked beside Gill at the end. Gill was still wondering what compelled Silver to follow them to the Whirl Islands. He honestly hoped it had nothing to do with the whole "Gill being Silver's property" thing again. Gill would be seriously pissed off it that's what all of this was about to him.

But before Gill could complain, his breath was taken away by the colossal waterfall. The thing looked so beautiful; he had never seen such a sight before in his very life.

There was a podium at the end of the land that looked as if something could be inserted. Miki pulled out a deep, blue colored bell from her person. She told Gill, Silver, and Cynthia that it was the Tidal Bell that was needed in part to summon Lugia from his slumber. The second key that would be needed was the Silver Wing. Both items were needed in order to awaken Lugia so that Gill could bring forth the beginning to the prophecy.

"Are you ready?" Sayo asked Gill. "This is your test, after all."

Gill nodded his head as he took out the Silver Wing.

Sayo joined the other girls around the podium. Morty kept everyone else back so that the Kimono Girls would have enough space to perform the summoning. Gill continued to cling onto the Silver Wing even as the Tidal Bell began to ring, making the wing shake in his hand. Gill gulped as he prayed that this was all part of summoning Lugia from its slumber.

The Kimono Girls performed their dance, calling forth Lugia from its sleep. The ringing of the bell got stronger until it made even the waterfall shake by its ringing. The Silver Wing fought its way free from Gill's hand, which was a great surprise to the boy as he watched it float. They all watched as the feather floated into the waterfall just as a pair of glowing orbs could be seen.

The girls continued to dance even as a great, beastly shadow took form. Gill, nervously, took Silver's hand, which the red head squeezed tightly out of instinct. Morty and Cynthia were simply paralyzed in wonder as they watched the shadow get closer. Gill felt terrified when the shadow slowly made its way out of the waterfall.

They all didn't know what to expect until it came.

Lugia shot forth from the waterfall with a mighty cry escaping its lungs. The Guardian of the Sea had been awaken from its long sleep by all those that gathered in its chambers. Water flew everywhere as the Kimono Girls stopped their dancing and bowed to the wonder of Lugia.

Gill made eye contact with the Beast of the Sea.

Lugia was beyond massive. Lugia was huger than anything else that Gill had ever seen in his entire life. The Legendary Pokémon was primarily a mixture of silver and white. Dark blue spikes ran up its back and its tail, along with what looked like masks that covered each eye. The underbelly was a lighter shade of blue. Lugia flapped his large wings where at the end they almost resembled hands; something that Gill thought was fascinating.

The Diving Pokémon flapped it's large wings to keep itself afloat. Lugia stared at the people that gathered before it, keeping a cautious gaze on each one. Gill nervously took a few steps forward as he tried to come up with a way to battle the Guardian of the Sea. He didn't see how he could fight Lugia, he couldn't think of a Pokémon in his possession strong enough to battle Lugia.

"This is part of your destiny, Gill," said Morty. "You must tame Lugia in order to get a step closer to awakening Ho-Oh."

"Right," Gill said, softly. "I'll do that…I have no idea how though."

Cynthia tried to encourage the boy with a few words, but she was cut off by Silver.

Silver stormed forward and put himself between Gill and Lugia. The Guardian of the Sea looked at Silver curiously, but didn't put up a fight at his presence. Silver stared at the giant Pokémon, founding himself practically mesmerized by the Legendary Pokémon. His heart was beating against his chest so hard that he felt like it would burst forth from his chest at any moment. He couldn't resist the urge…he had to do this.

"I have to battle Lugia," Silver said, calmly. "Gill, let me fight against Lugia."

"Why?" Gill asked, surprised by Silver's request.

"I'm not certain why," said Silver, "but I feel like I have to. Something is telling me that I need to fight Lugia…maybe it's Lugia telling me to battle it."

"That might be possible," Morty said, softly. "Lugia is a Psychic-type."

Gill finally nodded his head, approving the request that Silver made. The Kimono Girls didn't want to approve of this because they felt all the anger and hate within the boy's heart. It would be a disgrace to allow Lugia to battle this monster. They wanted to stop this atrocity, but it was Cynthia hold told them to stand down.

The Champion could see the hate within Silver's heart, but she felt like something had changed within Silver the moment him and Lugia made eye-contact. This might be what Silver needed to free himself from a lifetime of pain.

Silver stepped closer towards the edge of the land with a Pokéball in hand. Not even for a second did he take his eyes off of Lugia. He released his Red Gyarados, ready to unleash the best that he had to offer against the Legendary Pokémon. Lugia remained flying as it shifted its focus on the angry Red Gyarados.

The Pokémon's red scales looked vicious in the darkness of the undersea cave. The faint glow that it had was enough to make Gyarados look all the more frightening. Silver wasted no time in having Gyarados use Dragon Rage against Lugia. Gyarados created a vicious cyclone of fiery energy, blowing it in the direction of the Guardian of the Sea.

Dragon Rage did no damage to Lugia though. Lugia had created a psychic barrier by flapping it's wings, protecting it from harm. Lugia removed the barrier and continued to float in the air, waiting for Silver to try again. Silver bit down on his lip, realizing that it would be a lot more difficult to get the Legendary Pokémon to submit.

Silver wasn't about to surrender though.

Red Gyarados fired Dragon Rage once more, but each time it was blocked by Lugia. After the sixth Dragon Rage, Lugia finally went on the offensive. Lugia briefly spun around in the air before calling forth a torrent of water in its mouth. Lugia released a Hydro Pump, firing gallons upon gallons of water at Red Gyarados.

Although, Hydro Pump was a Water-type attack, Lugia had enough firepower to do some damage to Gyarados. It took everything that Gyarados had not to submit before the power of the Legendary Pokémon. Lugia finished it's attack and continued to fly above them with Silver's Gyarados weakened by that attack.

"Fuck!" Silver hissed, angrily. "Gyarados, use Hyper Beam! Hyper Beam at full power!"

Red Gyarados obeyed Silver's angry commands as he used his own anger against them. A golden orb of light began to form in Gyarados's mouth as he gathered the necessary energy. Once the attack was ready, Gyarados fired the Hyper Beam directly at Lugia. However, Lugia was able to put up another shield to protect itself from harm. Yet not even that was enough to stop the full power of Gyarados's Hyper Beam. The energy was too much for even Lugia to block. The shield eventually went down as Lugia expended too much of its psychic power.

Lugia wasn't about to allow itself to submit to the Trainer though. Lugia gathered a blast of energy in its own mouth, which turned out to be its signature attack. Lugia used the legendary Aeroblast against Gyarados. Lugia released the powerful whirlwind of energy from its mouth that easily depleted the rest of Gyarados's health.

The angry Pokémon collapsed into the water, completely exhausted from that battle.

Silver quickly recalled his Pokémon, while Lugia kept flying above them.

The Kimono Girls were yelling at Silver to get back now. They kept saying that he was not worthy of battling against Lugia that he was only destroying all the progress that they had made by bringing Gill here. Morty was almost ready to side with them too had Cynthia not intervened the Gym Leader. The Champion kept the Gym Leader out of this affair since this was, after all, Gill's responsibility.

Gill decided to take a little action as he approached Silver. He gently placed his hand on the older boy's arm so that he'd finally have the attention he needed to reach out to the red head. "Silver, your usual battle strategy won't work," Gill told him. "Getting angry and barking commands at your Pokémon isn't enough. It won't always be enough that's the point that Lance was trying to get you to understand. You have to believe in your Pokémon. They are your friends, they are your family. Your Pokémon can do the impossible if you just believe in them, if you love them."

Silver turned away, showing Gill that he pretty much ignored those words. Gill stepped aside and at least knew that he tried. Nobody would be able to blame him for not trying to reach out to Silver.

But it did seem like some of those words managed to seep into Silver. He had heard them so often these past couple of months. There had been so many people telling him to treat his Pokémon with more respect, to care about them. Silver's seen Gill become so strong because he actually believed in his Pokémon and loved them.

Gill had completely rewritten everything that Silver had ever believed in. Silver had been taught that power was everything that being cruel was the first step to obtaining ultimate power. His father had just completely warped everything that Silver believed true at a young age. It was Giovanni's fault that Silver was who he was today. Years of conditioning would be almost impossible to change, but Gill was always trying so hard to help him

Maybe…maybe Gill was right?

Silver took out the Pokéball that belonged to his Sneasel, his very first Pokémon. Sneasel had always been there for Silver. That Pokémon had been there for him from the good times and all of the bad times. He was the one thing in this world that Silver knew that he could depend on when the chips were down.

"I believe in you, Sneasel," Silver whispered to his Pokéball. He tossed the Pokéball forward, releasing his Sneasel to battle Lugia. Sneasel emerged from his Pokéball with a special item around his neck. It was a Razor Claw that Silver gave him to give Sneasel a speed boost during their battles. If only Silver had known the secondary effect that Razor Claw had on a Sneasel during nightfall.

Even in the depths of the ocean, the lunar energy from the moon had seeped down there. Sneasel could feel the power of the moon alongside Silver's newfound confidence in him. That was enough to give Sneasel the power to grow, the power to evolve!

A bright glow took over Sneasel's being as he began to evolve. Once the process was complete, Sneasel was no more now that he evolved into Weavile. This new Pokémon was about a foot taller than Sneasel with sharper claws and sharper, feline features. A red crown was on his head and the side of his neck. A third claw had appeared on each hand along with a yellow jewel on his forehead.

Weavile wasted no time in going after Lugia. With all of this new power that he had inside of him, he was just bursting with a desire to kick ass! Weavile didn't care of Lugia was a Legendary Pokémon and that he almost had no chance at winning. None of that mattered because Weavile knew that Silver believed in him, honestly and sincerely.

Blowing an Icy Wind from his mouth, Weavile was able to create a bridge to allow him to cross over the water. This was surprising to everyone who saw, especially Silver who had never thought of that before. Even Cynthia was impressed by Weavile's quick thinking.

Weavile tried to exploit this surprise that even Lugia had. A second Icy Wind was used, this time being blown after Lugia. However, the Legendary Pokémon quickly repelled that freezing wind by tarring it apart by using Gust. Lugia even waited as Weavile took Lugia's pause to jump into the air with his claws ready to tare the Legendary Pokémon apart.

Silver could feel Weavile's power inside of his own heart. He felt more in sync with his Pokémon then he ever thought possible. He never imagined that such a power existed; he knew that this was a gift that Gill used to get so strong. Silver knew that he needed to use this power to its full potential if he was going to be able to best Lugia.

"You can do it, Weavile!" shouted Silver. "I believe in you!"

Weavile felt Silver's confidence give him new strength. A new power burned within Weavile, which he quickly decided to use against Lugia. Spewing another blast of freezing wind, this time the attack was far stronger than the standard Icy Wind. Weavile had learned to use Blizzard! Weavile kept up a massive snowstorm from his mouth and used this downright freezing attack to strike Lugia.

Oddly enough, the Beast of the Sea did not try to avoid the attack. Lugia took the full blast of the attack without hesitation at all. Silver was almost certain that Weavile lost the second that his Pokémon touched the frozen bridge. When the snow cleared though, Lugia appeared with only a few scratches on its silvery body.

Lugia gave out a fateful cry though, which shattered through Silver's mind. Silver could hear the psychic voice of Lugia reaching out to him. Lugia spoke to Silver telepathically as it declared Silver worthy of its power. Lugia made Silver a promise to come to his aid whenever he needed it most.

Lugia floated down towards the water, tilting it's head to the side a bit. Weavile took the hint and jumped on the Legendary Pokémon's back who then flew him back to his Trainer. Silver was reunited with his Pokémon. Lugia then landed into the water where it remained by the side of the Trainer that was deemed worthy of the Guardian of the Sea's power.

"Impossible," said the Kimono Girls. "How could that happen?"

Cynthia began to smirk as she turned over to the girls. They were the scholars of this prophecy, yet they failed to realize every word that was recited into the text. "You forget, girls," said the Champion, "that Lugia was not meant to be tamed by the Chosen. If you remember correctly, Lugia could only be tamed by a Trainer that the Chosen had marked as his equal. A Trainer with a soul that sparkled with silvery strength is required to tame Lugia, while the Chosen Trainer must have a golden pure heart in order to reunite people and Pokémon with Ho-Oh."

"The Champion is correct," said Naoko. "My sisters, we are fools for forgetting this."

"A Trainer marked as the Chosen's equal," said Kuni. "Who would've expected it to be this boy?"

"Not me," laughed Zuki.

Morty couldn't help but to laugh with the rest of the Kimono Girls, while Gill went over to Silver's side.

Gill had a smile on his face as he looked at Silver and Weavile. He had heard every word that Silver said during this battle and he couldn't believe that it took until now for Silver to understand. He turned away from Silver so that he could look over at the joyful Weavile. "It looks like someone finally go through that thick head of his," said Gill.

Weavile smiled at Gill as he seemingly agreed with the boy.

Silver simply huffed at Gill, trying to remain that cool, unemotional guy he used to be. Gill knew that act was as good as dead, but he'd allow Silver to get away with it. Silver just looked over to Lugia who appeared to be waiting for them in the water.

"I am your equal," Silver said, both to Gill and Lugia.

"Well, you are my rival," Gill said, keeping his distance from Silver. "In order for a rivalry to work, you kinda need to consider one another to be your equal. The whole rival relationship wouldn't really work otherwise."

"Yeah," Silver said, shaking his head. "It looks like we're really stuck together now. The Chosen Trainer and his Rival, who would've thought that we'd be so damn special."

"Yeah, who knew," Gill said, softly.

Their thoughts were broken when Lugia gave out a soft cry.

Silver approached the Legendary Pokémon and climbed on its back. He recalled his Weavile then held a hand out to Gill. The boy climbed in behind him with everyone else joining them as well. They all got themselves seated on Lugia's back who then began to take to the air once more.

A psychic barrier formed around them with Lugia then flying into the waterfall and through the depths of the ocean.

* * *

Lugia had taken them back to the surface but descended back for the sea once they all touched land. The Legendary Pokémon would freely roam the oceans now that the Chosen Trainer's Companion had tamed the mighty Beast of the Sea. Lugia gave out a powerful roar though before disappearing into the ocean once more.

The Kimono Girls congratulated Gill and Silver for their awakening of the Guardian of the Sea. They were a little disturbed that someone as mean as Silver was marked worthy of taming Lugia, but they just had to assume that Destiny had everything planned out. They wished both of the boys luck on the rest of their journeys before taking off on their boat.

Cynthia also wished both the boys luck before her and Morty went off to give the boys some space before they left the islands. Cynthia thought it was cute the way that Silver and Gill complimented one another. They were complete opposites, yet they also seemed so perfect for one another that it was downright sickening. Morty, on the other hand, couldn't quite understand what Gill saw in Silver. He just shrugged his shoulders as he followed the Champion back to the boat where they'd wait.

Morty just listened to Cynthia about how amazing it was to see a legend come to life. He admitted that it was quite fascinating, but his jealously showed as he wished that it was him that was marked worthy of being chosen by Lugia or Ho-Oh.

Meanwhile, Gill and Silver stared out into the ocean as the full moon and stars glistened above the water.

Silver had not a damn thing to say even when considering everything that had just happened today alone. Gill wanted to pry about the month of no contact with Silver, but he felt that it wouldn't be right to do so. This was a special moment for Silver, he had finally broke through all that darkness and was able to walk into the light. It still bothered Gill though that Silver would just stay gone for a million years then occasionally pop in when he'd be remotely useful. It wasn't fair that Silver got to stalk him yet Gill couldn't know where to find Silver if he wanted to be around him.

Today though, Gill's feelings for Silver broke through to the surface.

"I missed you," Gill said, breaking the ice. "I miss you a lot, Silver." He crouched down to the sand with his hand touching the ground. He drew little circles into the sand, mindlessly as he stared up at the night sky. "Silver…I hate this. I hate that you just disappear on me for weeks at a time then magically show up like nothing happened. Then everything gets all hot and heavy then that afterglow goes away so I just feel used by you. I've told you before that I can't do that. I'm not that kind of boy. I like romance and relationships and all that stuff that you think is weak. I like feeling like someone loves me that I truly matter to them."

Silver decided to put a stop to all of Gill's rants. Just like Gill had released it all so was Silver. Silver was about to take a drastic step into uncharted waters that were all brought about by this one boy. He dropped down to his knees then pushed Gill down onto the sand where he kissed him. It was a different kind of kiss though. It wasn't the usual lust-filled, sex driven kiss that Gill was so used to. No, this was more gentler, caring…loving?

Gill couldn't figure out what this meant. He couldn't figure out what type of trick that Silver was plotting to use against him now. He had already gave Silver everything that he could. Silver had his heart, body, soul, and love. What more did he have left to offer?

It was time that Silver returned some of which he took from Gill.

"I love you," Silver whispered against Gill's lips.

At that moment, Gill thought he just died when he heard those words. He had to have imagined that, Silver would never say those three words. But Gill looked into Silver's gray eyes and saw just how serious that he was. There was no denying that Silver said those words, but most importantly, Silver actually meant it.

And for now, Gill forgot about their impending battle at Victory Road. He forgot about training to battle the Elite Four and the Champion. He forgot all about the Legendary Pokémon and being the Chosen Trainer.

Right now, all that mattered was that Silver loved him.

"I love you too," whispered Gill.

The two kissed once more, on the beach, with a star shooting across the sky.


	23. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: **I literally just finished writing this chapter. I am totally exhausted. I just want to go to sleep. Haha. There are only ten more chapters left until I'm done writing for Pokemon. So those reviews better start flying in. Make it worth all my time and energy by telling me how much you like the story! Haha. Read and review! P.S. My dog killed my stuffed Pikachu...I just thought I should mention that. **  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Two:**

In the months that followed the Whirl Islands, Gill made his preparations to battle the Elite Four.

Gill trained harder then ever before as he tried to make his team as strong as possible. In the end, Gill felt that all the training was worth it. This took over seven months to get ready for and he was a year older, but none of that mattered. Gill just wanted to have what it took the fight and defeat the Indigo Plateau so he could become the next Champion.

With a deep sigh, Gill stared at all the Pokémon he had caught and trained in the past year. It was amazing to see them all gathered here, get to make all training worth it. They were all ready for battle, Gill just needed to decide who he wanted to take for the battle.

That was a hard decision to make. Gill did all his research on the Elite Four so he could prepare for what kind of Pokémon to expect. Now that he knew that, all that was left was to pick a team that would be strong enough to defeat the Elite Four.

Typhlosion, Poliwrath, Dragonair, Pikachu, Hitmontop, Pidgeot, Togekiss, Ursaring, Umbreon, Skarmory, Magmar, and Dewgong all wanted to go with him to fight the Elite Four but only seven would make it.

Gill looked and smiled at all of his Pokémon, well aware of how each one ended up on his team.

"I've decided," said Gill. "I know which of you lot I'm taking with me."

His Pokémon waited anxiously as Gill took the time to pick each of them out. Typhlosion and Dragonair were the most obvious choices. Skarmory and Dewgong were chosen next with Pikachu not too far behind. Umbreon was next on the list with Hitmontop being the last to be chosen to be on the team.

Gill left the rest of his team behind, saying goodbye to them. The Pokémon left behind didn't bare any grudges, they just wished their Trainer and their friends lots of luck for their coming battles.

With all of that taken care of, Gill returned to the house just in time to hear screaming.

The middle child started to laugh as he went over to the living room to find his baby brother in the playpen. Gill recognized that scream by now. That was the newborn's "I'm hungry, feed me now" scream. Gill lifted his brother up from the pen and took the screaming child to the kitchen where he saw his parents working on that bottle.

Victor had temporary left the Pokémon League on paternity leave. He had racked up more than enough hours to take a long vacation along with parental leave, which made Molly's job a lot easier. It was easier to raise a newborn when both parents were around to take care of the screaming child that was driving them up the wall. Even Lyra had moved back in for the first month to help everyone adjust to the new baby.

"Kent is starving to death, you terrible parents!" Gill said, dramatically. He had to raise his voice over that of the screaming child to get their attention. Molly and Victor only rolled their eyes and their charming, older son. "How could you let this little gift from above starve!"

Molly took her child from her son and started to feed him the bottle. "Don't make me beat you, Gill," said his mother. "I'm tired and frustrated. I don't care how old you are, I can still beat you."

Gill took that threat and stepped aside to let his mother through. He waved at his baby brother who was being dragged away by their angry momma. He smiled and made his way over to his dad who hugged the boy.

"You ready to go?" asked Victor.

"Pretty much," said Gill. "I'm ready to take on the Elite Four. I'm nervous as hell though."

"Don't worry," said Victor. "You'll do fine so long as you believe in yourself and your Pokémon."

Gill couldn't disagree with that as he left his dad to finish up getting ready to leave for the Indigo Plateau in the morning.

* * *

In the morning, Gill left for the Indigo Plateau. He said goodbye to his family, for now, and promised that he was only going to come back once he became Champion. So the boy moved east and took to the lake that would lead him to the Tohjo Falls.

Dragonair swam him across the lake to make it to the waterfalls.

Tohjo Falls was a magnificent sight. Gill entered the cave to see the dividing point between Johto and Kanto. The two regions were only split apart by the waterfalls. It was this natural landmark that served as the first test for all Johto Trainers who wished to compete at the Indigo Plateau. Gill couldn't hide the smile that was bursting from his face as he thought about just how close he was to reaching the Victory Road.

Now, he only needed to cross the waterfalls. Once he passed that then it would be smooth sailing until he reached the Victory Road. That would be his final test before he could compete against the Elite Four. He would have to navigate around the Victory Road in order to reach the Indigo Plateau.

Gill was taking his first steps to becoming the next Johto Champion.

The journey to this moment was practically exhausting for Gill.

His feet took him to the outpost just outside the Victory Road. A small camp of Trainers surrounded the outpost as they prepared to make their journey either to the Indigo Plateau or to run back home. This Trainer wouldn't bother to res at this camp because it would only make him all the more nervous about doing this.

So he pressed onward and entered the Victory Road where his destiny awaited. No one paid attention to Gill as he kept on going. He entered the Victory Road to find that it was a dark cavern that had three floors to it. There were three floors with the third floor leading to the entrance of the Indigo Plateau.

Gill knew he had to go through this trial just too finally make it to the Indigo Plateau.

* * *

And the hours passed as Gill went through the trials. The grueling trials were a pain in the ass for Gill, but he was able to make his way through the dark cavern. He had his Pokémon move aside the heavy boulders that obscured his path. Once he had opened up a clear path, he took advantage of this to move onward.

It took almost four hours for the Trainer to finally make it to the third floor where he found himself pausing right outside of the exit. Gill's nerves were screaming at him as he stood right there. He only needed to take a few more steps then he'd be at the Indigo Plateau. Gill was almost about to explode from anticipation but he took just a moment to pause and reflect.

"You took your time getting here."

Gill didn't bother to be surprised to hear his voice. The boy turned his head to the side to find Silver emerging from another end of the tunnel with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Silver was obviously here for something, besides wanting to take on the Elite Four.

It was good to see Silver again. The last time Gill saw him was about a month ago. They would occasionally run into each other while training or Silver would call Gill to meet him somewhere. Their meetings were often brief, but they were always great because they got to be together even for only a little bit.

So Gill just smiled as Silver slowly began to approach him. "I'm guessing you want to fight me?" asked the boy. "It has been a month since we last battled each other."

"This will be the proving point for the both of us," said Silver. "Whoever wins will be ready to take on the Elite Four. If I cannot defeat you, or vice versa, then what chance would we have against the Elite Four?"

"Makes sense," said Gill. "So what are the rules?"

"Full team," said Silver, "and no substitutions. You think you can handle a seven-on-seven match?"

"I'm game if you are," Gill said, sounding cocky.

Silver nodded his head in agreement and they both armed themselves with a Pokéball.

They tossed their Pokéballs out at the same time, releasing the Pokémon contained within. Silver chose to use his Magneton first, while Gill went for his Dragonair. The pair began the battle almost right away after that.

Magneton started things off by using Spark against Dragonair. A surge of electricity escaped the body of Magneton and went rushing straight at Dragonair. Gill's Pokémon wasn't about to fall for such an easy trap. She used Dragon Rage against Magenton's Spark in order to block out the damage.

Already there was smoke in the way as the boys battled with everything they had.

Magneton unleashed a Magnet Bomb against Dragonair. The metal explosives surrounded Dragonair, making their rocky surroundings shake a little bit. Dragonair refused to be beaten though. Next came a Dragon Pulse that she aimed straight for Magneton. A violet swirl of energy gathered at her mouth which she quickly fired at the enemy Pokémon, crushing its steal body. Magneton was briefly blown away while a final bomb went off right next to Dragonair.

The smoke slowly cleared until it could be seen that Magneton was no longer floating. It was no longer able to battle which meant that Silver had lost this round. Dragonair was barely hanging on there, which meant that Gill had to make the most of what time he had left with his Pokémon.

Silver sent out his next Pokémon, which turned out to be his Weavile. This round was practically as good as won for Silver had Gill not taken the time to teach a Fire-type attack to Dragonair. That was by far the smartest decision that he ever made, which he kept secret until the moment was just right.

Weavile started things off with Icy Wind, which slowed Dragonair down a bit. Dragonair had to force herself to fight through the chilling wind in order to make sure she could keep on battling. That's when Gill had her use Flamethrower to burn her opponent to a crisp. Silver saw this coming and responded quickly by having Weavile use Blizzard.

The attacks of fire and ice rushed past each other before finally crashing against the targeted Pokémon. By some miracle, both Weavile and Dragonair were still standing, but were severally scratched up. The two attacks were super-effective, meaning that both had suffered a lot of damage from not being able to avoid the attacks in time.

Silver had Weavile make his move by having him use Quick Attack to grant him a rush of speed. Weavile leaped over the rocks that got in his way then geared up to use Slash to dice his opponent into pieces. But just as Weavile was coming in for the kill, Gill had Dragonair strike by using Dragon Tail. Dragonair charged up her tail with draconic energy before smashing it after the incoming Weavile.

Once again, both attacks hit their mark, but this time both Pokémon were left unable to battle. Weavile and Dragonair completely collapsed from exhaustion, surrendering to one another.

The boys recalled their beaten Pokémon then quickly swapped them out.

Haunter was chosen to be Silver's next Pokémon, while Gill had selected his Typhlosion since he decided to sent out his big guns. Typhlosion blew out fire from his back as he geared up to take on Silver's Pokémon. Haunter didn't look frightened at all as he just faded in and out, more willing to joke around than anything else. That seemed a little odd to Gill since Silver's Pokémon were usually a lot more serious than that.

There was no time wasted though as the battle began. Haunter started things off by inflicting a Curse upon Typhlosion that would slowly sap away at his health. Typhlosion got hit by the Curse, but Haunter also lost half of his health. That was an advantage that Gill knew he had to quickly exploit if he was going to gain another win under his belt.

Typhlosion struck with a Flamethrower, but Haunter simply faded away to avoid the attack. The fire blew through to the ceiling as Haunter reappeared, unscratched by the fiery attack. Typhlosion tried to use Flamethrower two more times, but it still failed on both tries. That annoyed Gill, while Silver could only laugh.

Slowly, Typhlosion's health began to fade until he dropped to his knees. Typhlosion refused to submit though as he stared at the laughing Haunter. Typhlosion unleashed a great burst of flame from his back as he unleashed the strongest Flamethrower that he could muster up. The great flames came too fast and much too strong for Haunter to avoid. Flamethrower did its job and knocked Haunter out with a single, mighty blow.

That was Silver's third defeat, which meant he had only four Pokémon left. The only bright-side to this win was that Typhlosion was exceptionally weak now. His power was more than halfway gone, which meant that a single, strong attack would be needed. Silver decided to unleash his Red Gyarados to put a stop to Gill by sending out his strongest weapon.

Red Gyarados emerged with a frightening roar escaping him. Typhlosion and Gill both seemed frightened by Gyarados' appearance. This was soon given good reason as to why the moment that Gyarados used Aqua Tail against Typhlosion. The strong burst of water that came forth was like a wave that easily put Typhlosion down, leaving him unable to battle any longer.

Gill recalled his Pokémon then chose to use Skarmory next. The ferocious, Steel and Flying-type was ready to go after this nasty Gyarados. Gill had caught this new addition during his training around Blackthorn City, in preparation for the Elite Four showdown. Gill decided to use Skarmory to take down some of Gyarados' strength.

Skarmory quickly used Sword Dance to boost his attack power. The steel wings began to shine in a way that was similar to a sword. With his attack power up, Skarmory flew straight towards Gyarados as he used Aerial Ace. His sharp beak dug against Gyarados's scales, but was hardly enough to take the colossal Pokémon down.

Gyarados managed to use Crunch to sink into Skarmory's left wing. Gyarados then threw Skarmory up until his body smashed into the roof. Skarmory took a bit of nasty damage but he managed to recover and fly with enough strength to get him through for a while longer. Skarmory fired Swift that took the form of several stars that came out from his mouth.

Swift managed to do a bit of damage to Gyarados, which is what Gill was hoping for.

Red Gyarados then snapped as Silver had him use Dragon Pulse. Oddly enough, there was no anger evident in Silver's commanding voice. He sounded clear and strong, this was a completely new side to Silver that Gill had never met before until now.

Dragon Pulse did what it intended to do. The attack struck against Skarmory, taking him down in a matter of seconds. With Skarmory down as well then that meant that Gill only had five Pokémon left to use, while Silver only had four. But with Red Gyarados on his side, Silver felt cocky enough to believe that victory was his.

Gill countered against Silver's victory dance by sending out his Pikachu. His Pokémon happily emerged from the Pokéball, ready to take on the large dragon. Pikachu didn't waste any time at all as Gill commanded him to use Thunder Bolt.

Silver attempted to stop this attack by having Gyarados use Hydro Pump.

Pikachu, however, used his speed to get out of the way of the water. He then jumped where he landed on the tail of Gyarados then unleashed the bolts of electricity from his body. The powerful shock was enough to even bring down this mighty Gyarados as the electricity surged everywhere.

With his heavy hitter down, Silver had to rely on his tricks. He sent out his next Pokémon that turned out to be his Kadabra. He felt that a psychic would be needed in order to deal with this electrical mouse. The first step was to have Kadabra use Reflect to protect himself from Pikachu's attacks.

So if his special attacks weren't going to be as effective, Gill knew he had to use his regular attacks. Gill had Pikachu boost his speed with a simple Agility that Silver quickly had Kadabra put an end to by using Disable. Pikachu got his speed boost, but was prevented from using that move for a while.

Kadabra went in for a quick kill by using Psybeam. The blast of colorful, psychic energy was rushing straight towards Pikachu. Gill had his Pokémon get out of the way with enough time to strike with Iron Tail. Pikachu swung his little body around once he got close enough to Kadabra to strike with his tail on the side of his opponent's body. Kadabra cried out in pain but twisted his spoon around to fire a Psybeam that Silver ordered within that second.

From point-blank range, Kadabra was able to unleash the full power of his Psybeam on Pikachu. Gill's friend went down, granting Silver another win under his belt. Gill was getting tired of this repetitiveness so he went for something a little different. He called out on his Dewgong that he had caught as a Seel during their brief visit at the Whirl Islands.

Dewgong was ready and willing to go. Gill had things started by having Dewgong kick up Hail, creating a small storm of ice. The sharp sheets of ice did no harm at all to Dewgong, but it managed to do a bit of damage to Kadabra even with Reflect still active. Gill knew that he'd have to hit Kadabra hard with his strongest attacks to move onward.

And Gill did just that. Gill chopped down Kadabra's Reflect by using a variety of Water-type attacks. Surf, Water Gun, and Bubblebeam were mainly used with Kadabra trying to fire off a few dozen Psybeams in the process. Dewgong managed to avoid getting hit, which came as a relief to Gill. Finally though, Reflect came down which meant Gill had an opportunity to strike.

Aurora Beam was chosen to put an end to this. The chilling attack struck against Kadabra's chest, causing a great chill to creep throughout his body. Kadabra simply dropped to his knees before completely falling down. Dewgong had down her job well, which was all that Gill asked for as Silver sent out the next Pokémon.

Much to the boy's surprise, Silver had chosen to use Crobat. Gill was surprised to see that Silver had a Crobat because that particular Pokémon could only evolve through being properly tamed with kindness. It all finally clicked in Gill's head now why Silver's Pokémon were responding so differently to him. Silver had finally took the advice he had been receiving for so long. Silver was treating his Pokémon with kindness.

The battle resumed with Crobat going all out against Dewgong. Crobat chose to use Air Cutter to do a bit of damage from a distance. The sharp, blades of wind crashed against Dewgong, doing some damage to her in the process. Dewgong stood her ground though, which was what Gill admired about his Pokémon. She held on and was ready to keep on going.

Gill tried to end the fight quickly by having Dewgong fire out an Aurora Beam. The colorful, Ice attack flew up into the sky where Crobat was flying around. Crobat would fly away though before the attack could connect against him, no matter how many times that Dewgong used the attack. That was a little frustrating to Gill, especially since Crobat had all of his moves attack.

Bite, Wing Attack, and Air Cutter were all chopping down at Dewgong's health, making this an almost easy win for Silver.

Both Dewgong and Gill refused to surrender though. Dewgong decided to dig a little deeper, pulling upon her power just as Crobat was coming in for the kill. Rays of icy gathered within Dewgong's mouth as she fired out a powerful beam of ice at Crobat. Dewgong's Ice Beam zapped Crobat down from the sky, leaving him completely frozen even as he crashed into the ground, no longer able to battle as well.

Silver appeared frustrated, but tried not to let that emotion get too out of check. He took out his final Pokéball, releasing his Feraligatr from his confines. With his last Pokémon, Silver swore to defeat Gill. Even though Gill still had three Pokémon left who could still battle. Well, make that two.

Feraligatr quickly used his attack power to take Gill's Pokémon down. Rock Smash was used to crash the ground, creating a nasty shockwave that knocked Dewgong down flat. Feraligatr then charged after Dewgong where he used Slash to take down the rest of the strength that she had left to fight with. Slash hit Dewgong without any mercy, knocking her out for the remainder of the fight.

Gill had two Pokémon left so he knew that he might as well go all out.

Hitmontop was selected to go next. Gill tossed the Pokéball out where he quickly used his Handstand Pokémon do his worst. Rapid Spin was the move chosen to start things off with. Hitmontop rotated around as quickly as he could on his head with his harsh winds being use to crash into Feraligatr. Gill knew he probably wouldn't win with Hitmontop, but he knew that he could at least do the best that he could with what he had. He still had one more Pokémon he could battle with so there was still plenty of hope of him winning.

Feraligatr snatched Hitmontop before he could completely escape. Hitmontop looked a little nervous as Feraligatr brought him close but the Water-type soon found a foot in his face. This didn't happen just once, but it happened three times in a row. Hitmontop took the liberty of using Triple Kick to break himself free of this messy situation.

Feraligatr was forced to stumble back from the closeness of the attack. Hitmontop started to spin around, picking up speed as he prepared for the worst that Feraligatr had to offer. Silver already expected what Gill had planned so he decided to attack everywhere. Feraligatr used Surf to flood the entire area with the water beating against Hitmontop.

Hitmontop landed on his back after crashing into a boulder. With that done, Feraligatr went stopping towards Hitmontop to use Stomp to crack the boulder that Hitmontop was laying against. The sudden crash left Hitmontop startled only to be taken down the minute that Feraligatr used Aqua Tail. The crushing weight of the tail mixed with the roaring waters proved to be too much for Hitmontop, and left him unable to battle.

Gill took out his last Pokémon, well aware that it would come down to this with Silver. He sent out Poliwrath and knew that he was more than ready to win. He made it this far, he knew that he could defeat Silver by pushing himself with everything that he had in him.

The two Water-types collided into one another. Poliwrath wasn't afraid at all to mix it up directly with Feraligatr. The Fighting-type in him made Poliwrath all the more ready for a challenge, which he soon found as he battled against Silver's Feraligatr.

They were both trapped as they tried to overpower one another in a test of strength. Their hands were interlocked with the duo fighting to push the other back. Poliwrath did well to stand his ground against a Pokémon larger then he was. Feraligatr gave out some intimidating growls but soon found that wouldn't be enough to beat Poliwrath.

They broke away from each other with Poliwrath sliding back on the rocky ground. Poliwrath kept his fists clenched as he stored a bit of power to use against Feraligatr. Meanwhile, Silver's Feraligatr went straight for the kill. Feraligatr was attempting to end this match with a mixture of Ice Punch and Slash.

Poliwrath braced himself for impact, using Focus Punch to end the battle. Feraligatr started by bringing his Ice Punch covered fist forward. Poliwrath responded by using Focus Punch to shatter through the Ice Punch, which it did without any questioning. The shattered ice left Feraligatr's hand exposed to Poliwrath's fist that was soon smashed. Feraligatr howled with pain as Poliwrath went in for the kill.

Dynamic Punch was the move chosen to end the battle. With the opposite fist, Poliwrath struck Feraligatr's gut with all he had in him. The powerful punch managed to even turn into a critical hit as he slammed it against Feraligatr's scaled body. Feraligatr had the wind knocked out of him and soon succumbed to his defeat as he slumped down, unable to battle.

With Feraligatr unable to battle, Gill was left the victor. Silver, silently, recalled his beaten Pokémon. Now that the battle was over, Silver simply dropped to his knees, while Gill sent his Pokémon back into the Pokéball.

Silver's hands just dug into the rocky dirt as he held back everything. He couldn't allow all of these emotions to take over. He was better off when he couldn't feel. Back then…back then he would've just blamed his Pokémon for not being strong enough to defeat Gill. Now though, after everything he's done, Silver never felt more like a failure then he did now.

"What else can I do?" Silver said, softly. "Nothing I do is ever enough. I followed your advice, I started treating my Pokémon with more kindness. I trained as hard as I could and I can't even beat you. How can I ever expect to be the best Trainer there ever was if I can't even defeat you!"

His voice rippled throughout the Victory Road, leaving even Gill started by the anger. There was pain present as well, which made Gill reach out to Silver.

Gill went over to Silver and sat down beside him. The boy leaned his head against Silver's shoulder and took hold of Silver's hand with both of his. Silver didn't move or say a thing to Gill, they just remained silent as Silver suffered from the defeat.

"I think you're an amazing Trainer, Silver," whispered Gill. "But there is no such thing as the best Trainer. Even the Champions can be defeated. There is always someone out there who is a stronger Trainer. There is always an obstacle that not even you can overcome. There is always something there to put you down."

"So you're saying I should just give up then?" said Silver.

"I'm saying that you shouldn't let being the best consume you," Gill told him. He placed a hand underneath Silver's chin so that he could make the older boy look at him. Silver did so and, once again, Gill felt like he was seeing the real Silver, not a mask. "Nobody can be the best, so just be good. Be great even if possible. Most importantly, be happy with you. I know your father warped your mind was so much shit, but life isn't as cruel as he made it seem. There are a lot of bad people out there but there are good people as well."

"I don't see how that helps," said Silver.

Gill sighed as he fought to uncurl Silver from the ball he was getting into. Once he had Silver straightened out, Gill took the liberty to sit on Silver's lap with his arms wrapped around his broader shoulders. Gill leaned in close to Silver, never breaking eye contact from even, not even for a second.

"I might always beat you in Pokémon battles," said Gill, "but you are always saving my life. I'd rather be in love with someone who feels my life is worth saving then a Trainer who can never be defeated."

Silver couldn't think of a comeback for that once so he just allowed his emotions to get the better of him. This time, however, it wasn't anger that was coming out from him. It was something else. It was hope.

Silver leaned in closer to Gill until their lips were just slightly away from one another. Gill just sat there, waiting for Silver to make the first move like he usually did. Silver didn't disappoint Gill as he closed the gap with their lips touching once more. A plain, simple kiss was what the two boys shared, but they both felt the heart behind it.

Gill held onto Silver, never wishing to let him go.

But Silver pushed himself away from the boy. He had his hands on the sides of the boy's waist, where he held him there so that he couldn't escape from him. "You need to go," Silver told Gill. "The whole point of the match was to prove who was ready to fight the Elite Four. You defeated me so now it's time for you to go to the Indigo Plateau and make the Elite Four cry like babies."

A smile couldn't help but to grace Gill's face as he kissed Silver once more before getting back up. He was standing back on his feet and slowly made his way to the exit like Silver told him to. But Gill stopped moving then turned back to Silver who was just now getting back up and dusting off the dirt from his clothes.

"When I'm crowned Champion, I expect you to be at the ceremony," said Gill. "There will be lots of music and food. I want you to dance with me."

"I'm not sure your family would approve," said Silver. "I also think your dad would probably try to kill me."

"I don't care," Gill said, smiling. "I want to dance with the boy I love."

Silver smiled and told Gill to leave now, which the boy did after making his point clear.

Gill ran to the exit, while Silver watched him go towards his destiny.

* * *

Stepping out from Victory Road, Gill finally reached his destination.

The building stood passed a field of flowers with trees surrounding it as well. Gill took a step closer where the archways stood to provide a scenic effect for the building. The six-story, colossal building was where Gill would take the steps to his future.

"The ultimate goal of Trainers" was what how the Indigo Plateau reached its mantle of fame. Gill knew he was only one out of hundreds of Trainers who were battling to reach the top, a position that only so few had gained. But Gill believed in himself and that of his Pokémon, he knew that he'd become the Champion of the Indigo Plateau. He would defeat the Elite Four and he would best Lance in battle.

With that in mind, Gill started to walk through the field of flowers with his head held high. The fourteen year old Trainer from New Bark Town was on his way to becoming the next Champion of Johto. Nothing would stand in his way now, nothing would stop him from achieving his dream.

Gill made his way inside of the Indigo Plateau to find the building mostly empty. It was rare that Trainers made it this far. The Trainers who took the Gym Leader challenge purposely avoided battling the Elite Four mainly out of fear. Those who did attempt to brave a fight against the Elite Four often got lost in the Victory Road then backed out. As for the very few who made it through the tunnel, well, they stood where Gill was at.

The boy had a smile on his face as he made his way to the double doors. There were two guards who stood in his way now, they were the only ones in the way of him defeating the Elite Four now. So when Gill finally made it towards the doors, the guards stopped the boy from preceding any further like they were ordered too.

"You're going to want to turn around, kid," said a guard.

"Only skilled Trainers who've collected all eight Gym Badges of Kanto or Johto may challenge the Elite Four," said the other.

Gill removed a case from his bag and opened it up to reveal the shinny Badges. "Well, it's a good thing that I'm so talented," said the boy. "I am Gill Hart from New Bark Town. I collected the eight Gym Badges from Johto after defeating the respective Gym Leaders."

One of the guards stepped forward to examine the authenticity of the Badges. "The Zephyr Badge of Violet City. The Hive Badge of Azalea Town. The Plain Badge of Goldenrod City. The Fog of Ecruteak City. The Storm Badge of Cianwood City. The Mineral Badge of Olivine City. The Glacier Badge of Mahogany Town. And the Rising Badge of Blackthorn City," said the guard. "These are the official Gym Badges of the eight Johto Gym Leaders."

"Trainer Gill Hart," said the other guard, "you may precede through these doors. The Elite Four wait to battle you. Allow us to heal your Pokémon first before you go any further."

Gill nodded his head and handed his Pokémon over to the guards. There was a healing machine not too far from where they were standing. The advanced machine was great at treating minor injuries that Pokémon sustained, but a Pokémon Center was still needed to take care of the bigger injuries.

The guards finished healing Gill's Pokémon and returned them to their Trainer.

Gill nodded his head at the guards as they pushed the doors opened for him so that he may climb to the second floor to finally battle the Elite Four.

* * *

The climb up the stairs were very short for Gill, compared to the journey it took to reach this point. Even as he slowly ascended the steps, Gill felt his nerves slowly getting the best of him. Every fiber of his being was telling him to turn and run away at this point. But Gill couldn't allow his fear to get the best of him, he couldn't allow that to happen.

So he pushed forward, Gill kept on moving until he finally reached a door.

The moment that Gill attempted to open the door, the door swung itself open without him even touching it. Swallowing down that last bit of fear, Gill took the next couple of steps forward. The minute he was out of range, the door slammed and locked itself shut to prevent Gill from turning back.

Now that there was no escaping, Gill took in his new surroundings. The dimly lit room had purple tile plastered onto the floor. A small ring stood at the center of the room where Gill would battle against the Elite Four. Around the sides there was what looked like a deep pit that had what looked like transparent cubes floating between steel beams.

A single round of applause filled the air as a young man descended from the ceiling. He came down, revealing a thin wire that had enough strength to support his spritely weight. The young man wore an extravagant, crimson colored suit with a long, black vest serving as a coat. His purple hair flowed freely along his face, while his eyes were covered by a black mask.

Gill watched as the man stepped closer to him before stopping at the center of the ring. The man continued his applause for another moment before finally stopping.

"Welcome to the Pokémon League's Johto and Kanto headquarters. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Will," said the young man. "I have trained all over the world, making my Psychic-type Pokémon powerful. And, at last, I've been accepted into the Elite Four. I can only keep getting better from here. Losing is not an option for me!"

"So then what was with the applause?" asked Gill.

Will smiled as he slowly stepped further away from the boy. He took a Pokéball from his hand and prepared to battle this challenger. "That was to congratulate you for making it this far," said Will. "You are playing with the big leagues now, Gill Hart. You might be the true Champion's son, but the Elite Four will not be showing you any mercy. We will fight you to the fullest extent of our power!"

"I'd have it no other way then," Gill said, gearing up for the battle. The adrenaline was pumping now so all those fears he had just melted away as he got closer to achieving his dreams.

"Then let us battle. Five-on-five!" said Will. "There will be no referee. The Elite Four battles with an honor system. If the gods favor you then you may precede to the next room. I will not make that easy for you though, Gill. Your journey will end here!"

"We'll see about that," said Gill.

Will tossed his Pokéball forward, releasing the first of his Pokémon. He chose a Xatu, a Psychic and Flying type Pokémon. Gill already had his teammate planned out for this match. He chose his automatic advantage which turned out to be his Umbreon. With just one Pokémon, Gill planned on taking down most of Will's team.

By the look on Will's face, Gill's choice in Pokémon left him horribly upset. Dark-type Pokémon were completely immune to Psychic-type attacks, making Umbreon the best choice for the match. That meant that Will would be forced into relying on his secondary type attacks. Will was already prepared for such an occasion, but it was still an upsetting blow when challengers used Dark-types against him.

The match started quickly enough though.

Xatu started things off by attempting to confuse Gill's Umbreon. Confuse Ray was Xatu's move of choice, which Umbreon, luckily, managed to avoid getting hit with. Umbreon jumped to the side of the tiled ring with his feet sliding ever so slightly. Umbreon charged towards Xatu, using Quick Attack to give him a speed advantage. Xatu took to the air, narrowly missing getting hit directly by Umbreon's attack.

Gill and Will both weren't fond of how things were starting out.

Gill especially knew he couldn't allow himself to drag out his matches against Elite Four. The long he battled against them then the better their chances were to recover and take him down. Gill had to end this entire battle quickly before he spent up too much of his own energy.

"Shadow Ball!" Gill shouted.

Umbreon quickly responded to the command as he gathered a ball of ghostly energy within his mouth. Xatu tried to counter this by blowing a Gust towards Umbreon, but the Dark-type moved away before it was too late. With all the energy needed, Umbreon fired his attack directly at the Xatu, shooting her down from the sky easily.

Will growled as he recalled his unconscious Xatu. He took out another Pokéball, releasing another Xatu from her confines. Will issued for Xatu to use Aerial Ace to get back at Gill and his Umbreon.

Xatu moved quicker then Gill had expected from a Psychic-type. Xatu knocked her beak into Umbreon's torso, doing a decent amount of damage to him with a single blow. While Umbreon was still recovering, Will had Xatu use Wing Attack next as well. Wing Attack led to Xatu smashing one of her wing's against Umbreon, doing extra damage to him.

Umbreon managed to recover enough to avoid getting hit by a second Wing Attack. This Xatu was clearly a lot stronger then the last, which meant this would take a lot more effort. Gill already had a plan in mind as he told Umbreon to use Agility to build up speed.

Umbreon did just that as he started to move around the arena. Will tried to foresee just what Gill was planning, but that took much too long for him to do. Gill had Umbreon use Faint Attack now, while the Elite Four member was distracted. Umbreon graciously waved his head forward, unleashing a blast of dark energy that knocked right into Xatu.

Gill wasn't done just yet, either. He had Umbreon use Bite next just to make certain that Xatu would be down for the count. Umbreon followed those orders and rushed towards Xatu where he took a bite into her wing. That was enough to sap the rest of Xatu's will to fight as she completely slumped to the ground, unable to battle any longer.

"This is getting ridiculous!" shouted Will. "I am part of the Elite Four. I shall not be so easily defeat by a child!" Will recalled his defeated Xatu then quickly brought out his next Pokémon. He tossed the Pokéball into the air, releasing his Slowbro from her confinement. Slowbro did a slight stretch while wiggling the giant shell around her tail. "Slowbro, use Water Pulse!"

Slowbro obeyed without any hesitation. She moved quicker then Gill could command too as she unleashed rings of water after Umbreon. The powerful tide of water easily crashed into Umbreon, forcing the Moonlight Pokémon to succumb to the pain and injuries he suffered from during the last battle. Umbreon buckled down to the ground, completely exhausted and unable to battle.

Will started to smirk, liking how the universe was realigning itself now.

Gill recalled his best chance at defeating the Psychic-type Master. He thought about who he could use next when he took out the next Pokéball. "I'm counting on you, Pikachu!" shouted Gill. He tossed the Pokéball into the air to release his Pikachu. The Electric Mouse quickly came out with electrical shocks escaping his red cheeks.

Pikachu ran towards the middle of the ring, ready to do battle against Slowbro.

Will was not fond of these type-advantages at all. They were becoming a real pain for him so he needed to react fast now that his Psychic-type attacks were available to him again.

Slowbro preformed Psychic next to do some major damage to Pikachu. Slowbro's eyes began to glow a pale blue as she unleashed a wave of energy that was coming straight for Pikachu. Gill had Pikachu use his tail as a spring so he could jump higher into the air, avoiding the wave of Psychic energy.

As the Electric-type was in midair, Will decided to use this to his advantage. He had Slowbro use Psychic once more to take control of the Pokémon's body. Slowbro did just that and immediately brought Pikachu plummeting down to the ground. Pikachu took quite a bit of damage upon impact, which made Gill flinched in sympathy for his poor Pokémon.

Pikachu, however, refused to submit so easily. Pikachu struggled and fought, but managed to break through Slowbro's psychic control over him. Gill knew that this surprise was going to be their only chance to make a difference so he had Pikachu use Thunderbolt to put an end to Slowbro.

Not wasting a single second, Pikachu unleashed all the electricity that he had within his body. The bolts of thunder streaked across the arena until it crashed into Slowbro, leaving her seriously shocked by the attack. The entire room was briefly illuminated in the process until the attack finally died out with Slowbro dropping to the ground in exhaustion.

Will continued to snarl at just how disgraceful this was becoming for him. He recalled his unconscious Pokémon and felt grateful that his final two weren't weak against Pikachu. He took out the first of the bunch and released her from the Pokéball, revealing an Exeggutor. The large, Grass-type Pokémon began to dance around with her psychic energy simply radiating off her.

Gill already saw the problem with this fight. He wouldn't allow himself to surrender and he knew that Pikachu wouldn't accept such a move either. So it was decided that Pikachu would use his speed to grant him an advantage during the fight. Agility was quickly used to boost up that speed, which soon led to Pikachu running around the arena with hopes of confusing Exeggutor.

Will wasn't impressed by such cheap tricks though and neither was his Pokémon. Exeggutor used Psychic to stop Pikachu from moving any further. The Electric-type was trapped in a frozen state, unable to control his body despite the voice of panic leaving his mouth. Gill actually felt frightened by this, which was when Will decided to put them both out of their misery.

Exeggutor used Egg Bomb to take care of Pikachu. The larger Pokémon tossed an egg from her head that went rolling towards Pikachu's direction. Exeggutor was kind enough to even release Pikachu from Psychic, but only when there wasn't enough time to dodge Egg bomb. Her bomb went off, which sent Pikachu flying back until he landed on his back with his face buried against the tiled ground.

Pikachu couldn't fight any longer, so Gill recalled his beaten Pokémon.

"You won't win," Gill told Will. "I can promise you that I'll be the winner."

"We'll see about that," laughed Will.

Gill took out his Pokéball and quickly sent out his next Pokémon. Typhlosion was chosen to take care of Will, which was something that the Elite Four member did not like at all. Of all the Pokémon that Gill couldn't chosen, he had to chose a Pokémon that had the advantage over his final two Pokémon. Will was pissed so he knew that he had to demolish the boy quickly before Typhlosion burned him away.

"Egg Bomb, Exeggutor!" shouted Will.

"Let's use Flamethrower, Typhlosion!" Gill shouted, excitedly.

Typhlosion fired out a stream of fire from his mouth just as Exeggutor tossed her bomb. The bomb blew up against the Flamethrower, while the fiery attack pushed onward until it bathed Exeggutor in the hot heat. The flames died out and Exeggutor looked a little burnt, but was still standing. At least, for about a second longer. Exeggutor soon fell to the ground, giving out a soft mumbled before becoming unable to battle for the remainder of the battle.

Will shook his head, realizing that here wasn't a chance at all for him to win. He recalled Exeggutor and decided to at least lose with some flare. He tossed out his final Pokémon, which turned out to be Jynx. His vivacious beauty was part Ice, which meant Gill could easily win with one move.

"I…I can't believe it," said Will.

"Believe it!" laughed Gill. "Let's end this with Fire Spin!"

Typhlosion breathed out another fiery attack. This time the fire gathered into a small cyclone that danced all around Jynx. Will's Pokémon didn't stand a chance at all, which led to this disgraceful loss. Jynx was beaten by a single Fire Spin due to the burn that the attack left her with.

Now that his Jynx had fallen, Will had truly lost the battle.

"What a disappointing loss," Will said, recalling his Jynx. "I have been so shamefully defeated by this child. I don't know how I can live with myself."

A dramatic sigh escaped the young man before he finally snapped out of his pity party. Gill just watched this man, hoping that he'd hold up to the whole honor system that the Elite Four follow.

Will didn't disappoint Gill with some pointless test like Clair tried to do. He simply brushed his hands against his pants before turning slightly to the side. "Even though I was defeated, I won't change my course," said Will. "I will keep on training until I become the best there is. As for you, Gill, now you may continue onward. The rest of the Elite Four are waiting for you to battle against them. I must warn you though, the rest of them are far stronger and more experienced Trainers then I am."

Gill simply thanked the man as he sent Typhlosion back into his Pokéball. He started to make his way forward until he passed by Will, holding his hand out to the Elite Four member. Will started to smile as he accepted the boy's hand, shaking it with a clear conscious. Will then unlocked the next door, allowing Gill to go to the next room to challenge his next opponent.

Gill then went onward, moving on to fight the remainder of the Elite Four until he could finally face Lance to become the Pokémon Champion.


	24. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: **Well, I finished another fantastic chapters for all you readers. Yay for me. Let's see. I have a poll on my profile, asking if you'd all like to see a Final Fantasy XIII fic. I've been playing it again and Dragon Age so I've been throwing some ideas around because of that. Don't worry, if I do decide to write one then it won't come out until after I finish this story. I'm planning on finishing this story around early September, by the way. haha. That's it. Read and review.**  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Three:**

Gill had overcame the terrifying, psychic might of Will so that he could finally progress to the third floor. His first battle against the Elite Four had been tiring, but it had been greatly rewarding as Gill finally knew he could hold his own against the Elite Four. If he could defeat the remaining three masters then would he be ready to battle against Lance for the title.

So Gill pressed onward, recovering his beaten Pokémon before entering the next room.

A grassy environment awaited the Trainer once he finally made his way inside. Trees surrounded the outer edge of the arena with moss covered the wall supports. At the farthest end rested a stone that seemed to draw in Gill's curiosity.

Now all that needed to be done was to wait for his next opponent to arrive. It was fortunate that Gill had some semblance of patience. That's what made this experience a little easier on him as he sat on the grass field and waited.

The wait didn't last too long, fortunately.

There was a rustle in the trees above him, which Gill knew meant only bad things. Gill waited until he saw a bunch of Bug and Poison-type Pokémon come down from the trees. It was like the Azalea Gym all over again. Gill held back the urge to scream when he saw the small army of Bug-type Pokémon that began to surround him.

Luckily, a man descended from the trees as well, sending the Bugs away. The man dressed in a way that a ninja would in his black suit with violet accents. A red scarf flew freely at his neck with spiky, blue hair standing upward.

"So you are the Trainer who defeated Will," said the man. "Well, you are fortunate indeed to defeat him. Most Trainers will not make it passed the first battle. Even less manage to defeat me."

The man crossed his arms over his chest, noticing how Gill didn't seem so frightened by his opening speech. That made a smirk grace his face as he decided to just things started. "I am Koga, a newer addition to the Elite Four," said the man. "I used to be the Gym Leader of Fuchsia City, but I accepted this position. Now, my intricate style will confound and destroy you! Confusion, sleep, poison…prepare to be the victim of my sinister techniques! Fwahahaha! Pokémon are not merely about brute force, you shall see soon enough!"

Koga laid out the rules, another five-on-five match that no one was looking forward to. There were no substitutions as usual. Both Koga and Gill took out their Pokéballs, ready to start the battle against one another.

The first Pokémon chosen by Koga was an Ariados, the evolved form of Spinarak. The spider-like Pokémon was red with black stripes running around his body. His legs were full of yellow and purple stripes with another set coming from his back. From what Gill knew about Koga's Pokémon, they were all part Poison and possibly a Bug-type as well.

Ariados was ready to battle with his sharp fangs itching to sink his fangs into Gill's Pokémon. Gill took out a Pokéball and released his Skarmory to take care of things. His Pokémon would be able to shrug off the poisonous attacks then deliver fatal blows with aerial attacks.

Skarmory took to the air, while Ariados tried to trap him by using Spider Web. Dozens of spider webs began to take form around the forest scene. Ariados tried to trap Skarmory with the webs, but the Steel-type simply used his sharp body to cut through the webs. That's when Gill had Skarmory go in for the kill by using Wing Attack.

Skarmory's razor sharp wings began to glow as he charged after the Pokémon. Koga tried to have Ariados avoid the attack, but Skarmory had too much speed built up. The Steel-type smashed Ariados away with his wing. Ariados went flying across the grassy field until he landed just a few inches away from Koga, unconscious.

Well, that didn't go as well as he had planned. Koga recalled his unconscious Ariados then sent out his next Pokémon. Koga's second choice was his Forrtress, the evolve form of Pineco. The giant ball of Bug and Steel was encased in a purple shell with red tubes sticking out. Gill already knew that this would be harder since Forrtress's dual Steel-type would make it harder to exploit the Bug-type weakness.

Gill had to shake up his strategy a little in order to pull of a win this time

Forrtress quickly started things out by firing a barrage of Swift. The sharp starts that came from his mouth were rapidly approaching Skarmory. The attack would be less than effective to Skarmory paid no mind at all when the attack hit him. He simply returned fire by using Swift as well. Granted, it was a rather pointless attack since it did little to no damage at all.

Koga only needed a little time before he sprang his trap. Gyro Ball was chosen next, despite being an ineffective move against a fellow Steel-type. Gill had Skarmory avoid the attack as Forrtress became a spinning ball of energy. Skarmory flew away from the attack then quickly used Wing Attack in order to retaliate.

From that close range, Koga knew he had Gill where he wanted him. It would require Forrtress to sacrifice himself, but Koga was certain that it would be worth it. The man shouted at Forrtress to use Explosion, which depleted all of Forrtress's strength but gave a ton of damage to Skarmory. The attack was powerful enough to completely deplete Skarmory's health as well, forcing him to crash into the ground as he became unable to battle.

They both sent out their next Pokémon to resume this battle.

Koga sent his Muk out next. The giant blob of purple toxic was the evolved form of Grimer. Gill couldn't think of a Pokémon that he had who would be effective enough to exploit Muk's weaknesses. So he decided to go with his Dragonair since she had almost enough power to pull off anything.

Dragonair took over with Muk sinking around the ground to unleash Toxic. The spew of poisonous toxins hit Dragonair with a spell of poison. Koga laughed as he witnessed Dragonair's health slowly depleting by this action. However, the Elite Four member failed to remember Dragonair had a unique ability that would cleanse poison. Dragonair began to shed her skin, dispelling the effects of the poisonous attack.

With that done, Gill now had an opening to strike against Koga who had been caught off guard. Dragonair used Dragon Tail to bring down the hammer on Muk. The empowered tail came rushing after Muk until it smashed against his gooey body. The attack had done damage, but Muk's sludgy state made it difficult for much damage to be done.

Muk unleashed a painful screech to weakened Dragonair's defenses before attacking with a Gunk Shot. Muk fired of giant chunks of mud at Dragonair with hopes of exploiting her weakened state. Dragonair regained enough of her focus, however, and followed Gill's order to use Aqua Tail. The sudden rush of clean water was enough to obliterate the incoming sludge that threatened to harm her.

Dragonair then quickly mixed things up by using Dragon Pulse to deliver a heavy blow. The cyclone of violet energy ripped through the cleansing water and filthy mud to strike against the toxic sludge. Muk was briefly pushed back against the arena with Koga flinching in sympathy for his Pokémon.

Muk completely sunk to the ground now, unwilling and unable to battle now.

With Muk down, this Master of Poison was down to his final two Pokémon. Koga was impressed by how this Trainer pushed him to this point. It had been so long since he had a challenger with such promise. In fact, the last Trainer that pushed him to these limits was the current Champion of Kanto.

"Venomoth, show this punk that ninjas will not be defeated so easily!" shouted Koga. "Obliterate this dragon by using Psychic!"

The Pokémon that emerged from the Pokéball was a giant, purple moth. This Pokémon was the evolved form of Venonat. Despite being a Bug and Psychic-type, Venomoth also had the potential to use devastating psychic attacks. This helped to counter against the challengers who dared to use his weakness to Psychic attacks.

Venomoth unleashed a blast of psychic energy from his body that rippled against Dragonair. Psychic was strong enough to push Dragonair back, causing her to completely drop her guard in the process. Gill tried to have his Pokémon put herself back together, but the immediate impact turned out to be a little much for her to recover from. Koga saw this and took advantage of this as he chose to use Toxic against Dragonair once more.

This time Dragonair wasn't as quick to neutralize the affects of poison. So her health began to rapidly diminish with Venomoth using that to his advantage once more. He used Psychic to knock Dragonair down, but the Dragon was refusing to submit so easily. With what little strength she had left and Gill's begging, Dragonair was able to release a Fire Blast. The ring of fire became a powerful cross that burned Venomoth into a submission, while she too collapsed in defeat.

Gill thanked his Dragonair for a job well done as he returned her to the Pokéball. Koga was once again impressed by Gill and his Pokémon as he released his final Pokémon. This time it was a Crobat, which Gill already knew how he'd take care of that. Gill unleashed his Pikachu, ready to chalk up another victory against the Elite Four.

"I may have only one Pokémon left, but I've been counting on this one from the beginning!" Koga said, attempting to maintain his calm.

Gill would've believed the man had he not have so many Pokémon left in his possession. He went along with what Koga was saying as he attempted to humor the man.

Pikachu took off running with Crobat flying above him. Pikachu augmented his speed by using Agility to give him a quick boost. Crobat tried to keep Pikachu back by using Double Team to make ten clones of himself. Pikachu soon found himself by almost a dozen Crobat with no clue which one was the original.

Crobat kept flying around in circles, trying to keep Pikachu off the trail.

Gill lost sight of the real one a while ago. Koga kept a cocky smile on his face as he believed to have the advantage now. The Elite Four member had Crobat attack with Poison Fang. The group of Crobat became a shield as they surrounded the real Crobat, keeping Pikachu and Gill confused as the bat struck. Crobat sank his poisonous fangs into Pikachu, doing quite a bit of damage in the process.

Pikachu cried out in pain with electricity surging throughout his being. Thundershock rippled across the forest, striking against the clones of Crobat. The bolts would blast away the fakes until one, lucky, stray bolt managed to hit the real Crobat. Pikachu's attack exploited the weakness of his Flying-type. The attack was fortunate enough to leave Crobat paralyzed in the process.

With Crobat unable to move, Koga was pissed and Gill was laughing as the fates truly smiled on him. Gill told Pikachu to use Thunderbolt and to put everything into that attack. Pikachu did as his Trainer told him to, unleashing powerful bolts of lightning from his red cheeks. Thunderbolt did exactly what Gill was hoping for as it shocked Crobat with powerful shocks that did the job in knocking him out.

Crobat crashed to the ground with a few shocks still coursing throughout his body as Koga saw his defeat.

"Ooof," Koga said, sending Crobat back. He gave out a simple sigh before pulling himself back together to smile at the boy. "You've proven your worth, Gill Hart. I subjected you to everything I could muster, but my efforts have failed. It seems that I still must hone my skills. Go on to the next room, and put your abilities as a Trainer to the test."

Gill thanked Koga as he quickly healed his Pikachu and the rest of his team before taking off to the next stage.

* * *

Defeating Koga had allowed Gill to progress to the fourth floor for his next challenge.

The moment that Gill entered the room, he felt himself slammed by a scorching heat. He looked around to find himself standing in a room that had lava pits below them. Well, that was something new. Gill gulped as he prayed that neither himself nor his Pokémon ended up falling into the depths.

So the Trainer started to move across the narrow bridge until he saw a man waiting for him at the end. The man was bigger than Gill's house, of course this was an exaggeration. He was physically well equipped with bulging muscles that seemed to ripple with every move that he made. His dark hair was partly tied into a ponytail that touched his muscular back while the rest of his hair was a bit spiky and messy. He wore white training pants, not bothering to wear a shirt either to cover those muscles.

Gill almost found himself drooling at the muscle god, but managed to keep himself together to meet his next opponent.

The Elite Four member sized his opponent up and didn't seem to think too highly of him. He knew that he'd easily be able to crush the boy, but as a member of the Elite Four, he had to remember his pleasantries. "Let's get straight to the point, shall we? I am Bruno of the Elite Four," said the muscular man. "I always train to the extreme because I believe in the potential of people and Pokémon. That is how we become stronger. Now, can you withstand my power?"

Bruno flexed his impressive muscles, showing off his strength to the boy. A Pokéball was in his hand as he prepared to do battle against Gill. He took a good look at Gill and saw the confident look on his face. "I see no fear in you. You look determined," smiled Bruno. "That is perfect for battle! Are you ready, Trainer? You will bow down to my overwhelming power! Hoo hah!"

The Pokémon that Bruno first decided to use was his Hitmontop. Gill decided to use his Hitmontop as well to get him a little more battle experience. At least this way too, he'd learn some new strategies that he could possibly use against Bruno as well.

Bruno's Hitmontop started things off with a bang. The enemy Hitmontop used Quick Attack to strike, using his rotation to grant him a serious speed boost. Gill's Hitmontop managed to avoid getting hit before it was too late. Bruno's Hitmontop was a lot faster than Gill's, which meant that speed wasn't going to be to his advantage.

The enemy Hitmontop took to the ground. He buried himself underground by using Dig to deliver a fatal sneak attack. Gill's Hitmontop was completely lost by this and Gill realized just how bad of a choice this was that he made. Bruno's Hitmontop struck behind his opponent with the after effects of Dig knocking against him then used Triple Kick to really punish him.

Gill's Hitmontop was forced into taking all three kicks, which easily took down his health. Hitmontop crashed to the ground and was left unable to battle with Bruno's Pokémon left this round without a single scratch.

Gill recalled his beaten Pokémon then decided to go all out. He sent out his Skarmory, feeling that the Flying-type would be able to turn the tide. Hitmontop tried to get after Skarmory by using Triple Kick after pushing himself into the air. Skarmory flew to the side, dodging the attack at the most opportune moment.

Skarmory used Air Cutter to strike while the kettle was hot. Powerful slashes began to escape from his razor sharp wings that began to bombard Hitmontop. The attack was a direct hit and was more than enough to take Hitmontop with a single blow.

Bruno recalled his beaten Hitmontop, smiling as he saw that Gill might be more of a challenge then he first guessed. Next, the muscular man chose to send out his Hitmonlee. He figured that Hitmonlee's higher jumps would be enough to crush the Steel-type with a single blow. He just needed to make sure that he did everything that he could to avoid this damn Flying attacks.

Hitmonlee quickly took over where Hitmontop failed. The long-legged Pokémon started things off by using Blaze Kick to deliver a fiery blow towards Skarmory. However, Skarmory took himself higher into the air to avoid the fiery kick then Gill had him counter by using Swift. Skarmory fired the starry bullets at Hitmonlee's leg, forcing the Pokémon to take to the ground.

Hitmonlee grabbed onto his injured leg, while glaring over at Skarmory. Now this match would officially begin for him. Hitmonlee used Focus Energy to pump himself up to beat Skarmory with everything that he had in him. With the boost to his powers, Hitmonlee was told to use Hi Jump Kick by Bruno.

Gill saw the attack and knew that it would be completely devastating if it hit its target. Gill knew that he had to get Skarmory to avoid the attack before it was too late. He was also well aware that if the attack missed then the user would suffer damage from failing.

Gill had Skarmory take evasive action in the air. Just as the kick was nearing his steel body, Skarmory used Agility to grant himself a boost in speed that would avoid him getting hit. Hitmonlee's attack failed him and led to the Pokémon crashing into the ground where he took a lot of damage on his other leg.

With both legs injured, Hitmonlee was as good as done.

Skarmory performed Aerial Ace to put an end to this fight. He swooped down to as close to the ground as he could get with his beak generating a lot of power. Once Skarmory came into contact with Hitmonlee's chest, Skarmory unleashed the full power of the attack to put Hitmonlee out of his misery.

With two Pokémon down, Bruno was not happy at all as he sent his Hitmonchan out as an act of vengeance.

Hitmonchan smashed his fists together causing one to light up with electricity while the other got very chilly. He enchanted both his fists with Thunder Punch and Ice Punch, granting him a greater advantage against Skarmory. This made Gill a little concerned, but he figured that he'd be just fine as he stuck with their aerial advantage.

This, however, didn't work out so well.

Bruno had Hitmonchan unleash the attacks, which the Pokémon did without coming into contact with Skarmory. Hitmonchan simply pushed his fists forward, releasing Thunder Punch and Ice Punch like they were missiles. The two attacks flew across the rocky field and nearly crashed into Skarmory had the Pokémon not still have the speed boost granted to him by Agility. Skarmory narrowly missed the direct hit that would've put him down with a single, devastating blast.

Gill had to gulp as he tried to figure out how he'd win this match. Better yet, he needed to think of how he'd be able to at least take Hitmonchan down with him. And that was an easier strategy to come up with, one that Gill felt a little guilty for even coming up with.

Hitmonchan used both Thunder Punch and Ice Punch once more, readying himself to unleash the fatal blows. Skarmory kept to the air, ready to avoid getting hit once more. Bruno was just waiting for Gill to do his worst to him. Gill was only trying to think of a way to pull off this insane strategy in that pretty head of his.

Gill made Skarmory fly directly towards Hitmonchan by using Aerial Ace. As Skarmory went flying in for impact, Bruno decided it was time to spring the attack. Thunder Punch and Ice Punch raised out from Hitmonchan's gloves and were heading straight at Skarmory. Gill had Skarmory take a sudden turn that allowed him to avoid both attacks.

But as Skarmory was coming in to the finish, Hitmonchan braced himself by using Thunder Punch at close range. The electrifying punch made contact with Skarmory, but not before Skarmory could hit him with Aerial Ace. The Thunder Punch sent sparks flying everywhere that even electrocuted Hitmonchan in the process. Both Pokémon collapsed to the ground, and they were both unable to go on any further.

Gill and Bruno recalled their beaten Pokémon then sent out their next batch.

Bruno had chosen his fateful Onix, while Gill went on to use Dewgong.

Dewgong gracefully took to the arena as Onix uncoiled his massive, rocky body. This match seemed pretty obvious, but with Dewgong being part Ice as well as Water, that was going to make things a bit trickier. Gill was ready for whatever Bruno would throw at him though and Bruno was expecting the worst from this child.

Dewgong tried to end things quickly by spraying Onix with a Water Gun. The heavy torrent of water rushed from Dewgong's mouth only to be blocked when Bruno had Onix strike. Onix unleashed a Dragon Breath that involved him firing a violet breath of draconic flames. Their attacks crashed into one another, quickly cancelling the other out in the process.

Gill bit down on his teeth, he had hoped this would be an easy victory. Gill should've known better when battling a member of the Elite Four. He ran a hand through his bangs and decided to make this hot lava room a little more chilly.

"Ice Beam!" shouted Gill.

Dewgong obeyed Gill's fatal command. Dewgong unleashed a chilling beam of ice from his mouth that quickly struck gold with Onix. The attack completely encased Onix in ice before Bruno had a moment to try and block the attack. Bruno felt stupid for not seeing that one coming, while Gill sighed as he realized how lucky he was to pull this off.

Gill showed no mercy as he had Dewgong finish Onix's frozen form off with a Water Gun. The blast of water escaped once more from Dewgong's mouth, which was quickly used to beat what little strength Onix had left.

With Onix down, Bruno only had a single Pokémon left to use for battle.

Bruno wasn't about to disappoint himself, his Pokémon, or his training. He took out the final Pokéball and held it up into the air. "Fight as hard as you can until you faint!" shouted the muscular man. He tossed his Pokéball, releasing his Machamp in the process. The four armed, Fighting-type champ took to the arena with a powerful growl escaping his lips.

Gill and Dewgong shivered, nervously, as they braced themselves for the very worst.

Machamp quickly started things off by using Rock Slide. He gathered a boulder in each hand which he tossed into the air then quickly pummeled them into pieces. The shattered rocks then flew across the arena where they crashed into Dewgong, relentlessly.

Dewgong slumped a little forward, having suffered heavy damage from a single one of Machamp's attacks. Gill knew that she wouldn't be able to hold it much longer. Dewgong would lose unless Gill acted fast.

Gill tried to help Dewgong by having her use Surf. The giant tide of water did hit Machamp and it did do quite a bit of damage to him. If only Gill had known that Machamp would exploit that damage taken.

Bruno had Machamp use a surprising move called Revenge. Machamp used the damage that he suffered to empower him to deliver a heavy and powerful attack. He smashed all four of his fists into the ground, unleashing a powerful shockwave that knocked Dewgong back. Dewgong got hit with the full power of Revenge, which easily defeated Gill's Pokémon.

Dewgong went back into the Pokéball to rest, while Gill contemplated who to use next. He didn't have a Pokémon left that had the advantage against this ferocious Machamp. He had no other choice then to trust in the heavy firepower of his Typhlosion. He could only pray that Typhlosion had the strength in him to finish things quickly.

Typhlosion emerged from the Pokéball, ready and able to battle.

Machamp laughed as Typhlosion shot flames from his back. Bruno quickly had Machamp use Rock Slide to exploit the Fire-type's weakness to Rock-type attacks. The barrage of rocks was coming straight at Typhlosion, which the Fire-type did not bother to move away from. Gill stood his ground as well as he told his Pokémon to use Flamethrower.

Typhlosion spewed a mouthful of fire that burnt the broken rocks into ash. The lava below them raised the heat in the room, which seemed to give Typhlosion a blazing boost as well. Typhlosin's entire body began to glow as his special ability took affect when Gill knew that he'd really need it. Typhlosion had his Blaze ability activate, which gave his Fire-type attacks a serious boost in attack power.

Gill knew he had to use this to his advantage before it was too late.

Using a newer move for them, Gill had Typhlosion use Blast Burn. Typhlosion obeyed without question as he used this highly, experimental move. Typhlosion unleashed a blast of fire from his body that spread across the arena like a wave. The wave of pure fire burned against Machamp, forcing the multi-armed Pokémon to fall onto his back as the flames burned against him.

The fire pounded against Machamp a few times until he was forced to submit. Typhlosion fell to his knees, the exhaustion from using such a powerful move taking it out of him along with Blaze dying out on him. The good news, however, was that Blast Burn was effective enough to defeat Machamp before it was too late.

Bruno slumped down to the ground as the defeat of his Machamp meant the end of him. The muscular man regained his composure and stood back up to applaud Gill with his heavy hands. "Having lost, I have no right to say anything," said Bruno. "Gill, go face your next challenge. The last of the Elite Four is waiting to challenge you."

The muscular man turned away from Gill after that, still reeling from his defeat.

Gill thanked the man for the battle, but wasn't sure if Bruno heard him. Either way, Gill just went to work on healing his Pokémon before taking off running to the next room. He didn't want to stick around in that hot ass room with that muscular man any longer. Gill didn't want to risk getting thrown into the pit of lava.

* * *

The only test left before Gill could challenge the Champion was to defeat the final and strongest member of the Elite Four. At least that's what Bruno had told him after their battle had ended. Despite this fear that Bruno tried to install in him, Gill was determined to keep moving onward until he could finally battle against Lance.

So the boy healed his team until they were ready and able to stand up against the last of the Elite Four. He arrived then to the fifth floor on the elevator, feeling ready for the worst that could possibly happen.

This room had a darker design then all the other rooms. A black pit surrounded the arena like it did in Will's room, only at the end of the pit were blue crystals that sparkled with a menacing glow. The room was primarily colored purple with purple tiles, purple walls, and large, purple curtains around the center of the ring.

This time, it was a woman who waited for the challenger to arrive. Gill recognized this woman from her profile page on the Pokémon League's website. The woman would serve as the final test for a Trainer, but this battle wouldn't be any easier since she was the strongest of the Elite Four.

A long, silver haired beauty waited for Gill at the center of the arena. She wore white capris with a yellow, spaghetti-strapped top and the matching heels. She waved a hand through her hair as she watched Gill's steady approach towards her. "Do not fear, Gill," said the woman. "I do not bite unlike my other comrades."

"That's good to know," said Gill.

The woman started to smile as she welcomed Gill to her playground. "I am Karen of the Elite Four," she said, introducing herself. "I shall serve as your final test. I'm certain that this will be a very amusing battle. I love Dark-type Pokémon. I'm known for my overpowering tactics. Think you can take them? Just try to be entertaining for me, honey. Now, let's battle!"

"You won't win!" promised Gill. "I will defeat you so I may battle Lance!"

"We'll see about that," said Karen.

Karen took out her Pokéball, ready to do battle as Gill did the same.

The first Pokémon that Karen selected was her own Umbreon. Gill felt a little bad about fighting against an Umbreon. Heck, he always felt bad against fighting Pokémon that he had. Anyways, he sent out his Hitmontop on the first round once more, hoping that this time he'd fare better against this beauty and her Pokémon.

Karen and her Umbreon wasted no time in staring the battle. Umbreon quickly tried to put Hitmontop down by using Confuse Ray on him. The blast of confusion was nearly enough to affect Hitmontop, but Gill's Pokémon was able to fight through this dizzying attack.

Hitmontop responded to this by using Rapid Spin like Gill had told him. The Pokémon moved at rapid speeds, forming a mini cyclone that he used to speed towards Umbreon. The Dark-type attempted to avoid getting hit, but Hitmontop managed to at least clip his opponent. Hitmontop then struck yet again by using Double Kick on him. With two swift kicks, Hitmontop managed to pull off a win.

Gill sighed in relief as Karen took out her next Pokémon. The Pokémon that she chose was Murkrow. The Flying-type went up into the air, ready to put a hurting on Gill and his team. She kept high above Hitmontop, making sure that he couldn't get to her but she could do plenty of damage to him.

Murkrow sent down a light Gust to prove her point at Karen's command. The gale of wind was strong enough to force Hitmontop to hold his ground. It was difficult, but Hitmontop stayed strong and used what was left of the Gust to use Rapid Spin to get closer to Murkrow. Karen foresaw Gill trying to get up close so she had Murkrow use Peck to put a stop to that.

When Murkrow flew out of damage range, Murkrow struck her beak into Hitmontop's face. The critical hit knocked Hitmontop back to the ground, adding extra damage to him. With that done, Hitmontop was left dizzy and unable to fight.

Dewgong was sent out next to balance the odds. Gill quickly had Dewgong use Icy Wind to put an end to Murkrow before it was too late. With a frozen gust of wind, Dewgong spewed the Icy Wind at Murkrow, shooting her down from the sky in perfect time. Murkrow came crashing down, a little chilly and unwilling to fight any longer.

So with another Pokémon gone, Karen went on to her next Pokémon. She chose to go with her Vileplume, despite the obvious type weakness. She was hoping to lay down some poison though to make Gill's team weaker, but she had to hurt Dewgong a little bit first. Vileplume used Stun Spore with hopes of paralyzing Dewgong before using some Grass-type hurting.

The paralyzing spores were flying towards Dewgong in a terrifying speed. Since Dewgong didn't have much speed, there wasn't much of an opportunity to avoid getting hit. The paralyzing spores prevented Dewgong from going any further. The stunning effect of Vileplume's attack kept Dewgong from moving that much, which Karen wanted to exploit a little further.

But Dewgong was lucky enough to keep on going. Gill was fortunate enough to have her use Ice Beam with what strength she could muster up. Dewgong fired the beam of chilly might at Vileplume, keeping her from going any further as well. Vileplume fell onto her back, the freezing effects of Ice Beam leaving her unable to fight. As for Dewgong, she could still fight, but the paralysis had left a mark on her.

Karen unleashed her next Pokémon, well are that Dewgong wouldn't be able to make it through this one. She tossed her Pokéball into the air where she released her Gengar to the battle. The large, purple ghost floated slightly with a creepy smile on his face.

With a devious smile on her face, Karen had Gengar use Focus Blast. Gengar brought his hands together with a sphere of light-blue energy forming in the process. Gengar unleashed the blast of energy straight at Dewgong, putting her down without any mercy. Dewgong fell to the ground, the paralysis becoming undone, but she was now unable to fight.

Another Pokémon down, Gill took sent out his Umbreon next to fight against Gengar.

Umbreon would be able to make quick work of the poisonous Ghost-type that Karen had sent out. Gill kept a smile on his face as he had Umbreon use Bite against the spectral figure. Umbreon quickly charged after Gengar, while the ghost tried to stop him by using her Focus Blast once more. But before she could unleash that sphere of energy, Umbreon swerved around and sank her fangs into Gengar's leg.

In all irony, Gill did a great deal of damage against the Dark-type Master by using a Dark-type of his own. Gengar cried out in ghostly pain as she tossed her fully charged Focus Blast against Umbreon. The Fighting-type attack was powerful enough to knock Umbreon back, but it wasn't strong enough to knock him out. Gengar tried to make up for this by using Sucker Punch.

Umbreon managed to avoid getting hit like a sucker. Gill decided that it was time to use Umbreon's strongest attack. Faint Attack was the move chosen to take down Karen's Pokémon. Umbreon dropped to the ground, pretending to faint as he unleashed a blast of dark energy from his being. The blast of dark energy knocked into Gengar, making her a bit dizzy before forcing her to crash into the ground.

Umbreon finished the fight off by using Bite once more, under Gill's orders, to force Gengar into submission.

Now that Karen only had one Pokémon left, the heat was really turned up. Karen took out her final Pokémon and released the strongest Pokémon in her possession. "You're no ordinary Trainer to have gotten this far," said Karen. Her Houndoom took center stage as she gave out a ferocious howl.

Houndoom started things off by using Flamethrower against Umbreon. The little bit of health that Umbreon had left was burned away by one, powerful Flamethrower. The attack stole what strength Umbreon had left after withstanding a direct hit from Gengar's Focus Blast, forcing Gill's Pokémon into submission.

Gill was sad to see his Umbreon defeated, but he knew he'd be able to win one way. He took out his Pokéball and got ready to send out his best chance to win. The Pokémon that he chose was none other than his heavy-hitting Poliwrath. With Poliwrath, Gill had a double advantage against Karen and her Houndoom.

Gill decided to waste no time as he had Poliwrath whip up a Surf. The giant tide of water was practically bone crushing as it knocked into Houndoom. The nasty blast of water was almost enough to take Houndoom down with a single hit. However, she kept strong against Poliwrath as she counted with a Dark Pulse.

A ferocious blast of dark energy escaped from Houndoom's mouth. The attack rocketed across the arena and Poliwrath crossed his arms over his chest to keep himself from taking in too much damage. Poliwrath slid across the tiled floor after taking such a heavy hit. Gill had his hand over his chest, hoping that Poliwrath could withstand a second hit just in case this next attack wouldn't work.

Luckily enough, Poliwrath took almost no damage during that last attack. Gill sighed with relief as he had Poliwrath a newly learned move from a TM they found a while back. The attack was called Scald, which involved Poliwrath firing a blast of boiling hot water at his opponent. The hot, torrent of water smashed into Houndoom without any mercy at all and proved to be enough to leave the Pokémon shaking from the damage taken before finally surrendering.

Now that Houndoom was defeated, Karen didn't have any Pokémon left that she could use for battle.

With the last of the Elite Four defeated, Gill felt an immense amount of pride swell up within his chest. He clenched onto his rapidly, beating heart as a great smile began to grace his lips. His Pokémon was even jumping up and down, enjoying the victory that he helped his Trainer to earn. Poliwrath held his hand up and soon got a high five out of Gill before returning to his Pokéball.

Karen sighed as she too failed to defeat the challenger. But what a thrill it was to have such an exciting battle. She almost never got to battle the Trainers that journeyed to the Indigo Plateau, and those she did always lost much too fast for her to really enjoy the battle. This had been a first though and it was something Karen needed to applaud Gill for accomplishing.

"You are the first Trainer to ever defeat me, Gill," said Karen. "I wasn't a member of the Elite Four when your father was battling to become Champion unlike Bruno and Koga. It was an honor to battle you. Now, I can proudly say that you have what it takes to battle the Champion."

"I have something to ask of you first though," Karen said, before unlocking the last door. The movie star beauty approached Gill with a smile on her face as she held out her hand to him. Gill gracefully accepted it and felt her gentle, yet firm grip. "Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled Trainers should try to win with Pokémon they love best. I like your style. You understand what's important. Now, go on—the Champion is waiting."

Gill thanked Karen for her words of wisdom and she even healed his Pokémon for him so that he would be at his best to battle against Lance.

And with the Elite Four defeated, Gill made it to the final floor to have his match against the Champion of the Indigo Plateau.


	25. Chapter 24

**Author's Note:** I know, this update came like super fast but the inspiration was present. I had to write this before completely bonkers. Plus, I have to be a little more on my writing since I started working again. And now I have to deal with my battery being dead and needs to get replaced. There goes my paycheck. -sigh- Well, have fun reading this chapter.**  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Four:**

Standing outside of the sixth floor, Gill knew that everything would come down to these final moments. He was at the home stretch now where only fate could decide the final outcome. He was about to face Lance, the Champion of the Indigo Plateau, to become the new Champion of the Indigo Plateau.

Gill was practically frozen as he stood outside of the door, terrified by going any further. He just couldn't find the strength to move, not even an inch. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to turn around. His body didn't want him to go up against the Champion. He was too scared.

But it was the heart that won out in the end. Gill's heart was thumping and thumping against his chest so loud that it felt like it would burst at any moment. This made Gill thing about the long journey for him that led up to this very moment. It all started in Blackthorn City where he encountered the Dragon Sages, and now here he was about to battle the Dragon Master.

In the depths of his heart, Gill knew that he was ready to face the Champion in combat.

So without further ado, the doors were pushed open, revealing the final test. The chamber was painted gold with a long, red carpet leading to an elevated area where a caped figure stood. Gill started to make his way down the carpet where he passed the Dratini statues. The moving gears on the wall were not a distraction for Gill as he focused on his mission, on his destiny.

There would be no denying him the crown. Gill Hart knew that on this day he would become the new Champion of the Indigo Plateau.

Lance stood at the very end of the room with his cape drawn over his body. He had a smile on his face as he watched Gill draw closer towards him. Before the boy crossed the stairs, however, the Champion stopped the boy from coming any closer. He threw his cape off him, revealing the blue suit that he wore underneath.

"I've been waiting a long time for you, Gill," said Lance. "I knew that with your skills that you'd eventually reach me here. There is no need for either one of us to say anything else. You made it this far so words are pointless. We will battle to determine who is the stronger of the two of us in a seven-on-seven match. As the most powerful Trainer and as the Pokémon League Champion...I, Lance the Dragon Master, accept your challenge!"

Gill braced himself for the very worst as Lance unleashed his first Pokémon for this battle.

Gyarados was chosen as Lance's starting Pokémon. Gill took the liberty of exploiting the obvious type-weakness he had up his sleeve. He sent out Pikachu to take on the giant sea-dragon that was sent out by the Dragon Master. Gill was ready for whatever it was that Lance would throw his way, while Lance felt himself able to deflect anything Gill would do.

The match quickly began as Pikachu used Quick Attack to build up his speed. Pikachu skipped across the golden floor, while Gyarados chose to use Dragon Pulse to stop the Electric-type. The blast of violet energy skidded across the ground but it had missed due to Pikachu's evasive maneuvers.

Gill sighed in relief then told Pikachu to use Thundershock against the Gyarados. Pikachu took in a deep breath before firing a powerful bolt of lightning from his body. The Thundershock was able to hit Gyarados with its full fury. Gyarados howled in agony as the electricity surged into his body, doing some nasty damage to him in the process.

However, Gyarados quickly shrugged off Pikachu's attack. Lance had trained Gyarados better than that. Gyarados had his revenge by using Waterfall against Pikachu. By smashing his tail to the ground, a colossal surge of water sprang forth from the ground and nearly crashed into Pikachu. Gill's Pokémon barely had enough time to get out of the way before suffering some serious damage from the attack.

Gill knew he had to up the stakes a little to end this match quickly. He still had six more Pokémon to battle against so he couldn't afford to waste anymore time. He nodded his head, realizing this, before having Pikachu use his strongest attack.

"Volt Tackle!" shouted Gill.

Pikachu landed on the ground with a great amount of grace. He then took off running, charging straight for Gyarados as a surge of electricity began to ensnare around his body. Lance was surprised by such a daring, direct attack. All the Trainers he faced in the past wouldn't dare to try something so bold. He quickly had his Gyarados use Dragon Pulse once more with high hopes of destroying Pikachu with a single blow.

But as the sphere of purple energy headed towards Pikachu, the Volt Tackle was there to protect him. The large surge of electricity actually sliced through the Dragon Pulse, allowing Pikachu to get even closer to Gyarados. Once the attack was completely devastated, Pikachu succeeded in crashing into Gyarados's chest, unleashing the full power of his electrical attack.

Gyarados was quickly conquered by the powerful Volt Tackle, leaving Pikachu the winner of the opening match.

Lance nodded his head, smiling at how nicely Gill had improved. That wouldn't save him for the next match though. Lance sent out his next Pokémon which was the living fossil, Aerodactyl. The large, gray Pokémon flew up into the air, letting out a terrifying warcry. Even Pikachu was startled by Aerodactyl's frightening appearance.

And Lance wasted no time in starting things up. He had Aerodactyl use Aerial Ace to deliberately get up close and personal to Pikachu. Gill was able to have Pikachu avoid getting smashed by Aerodactyl, which was a very good thing. But Aerodactyl was coming back for a second attack, which Lance had called Rock Slide.

Large boulders began to spring forth from the ground with Aerodactyl using his wings to break them apart. The giant rocks then slide across the ground and soon crashed into Pikachu to deliver a critical hit. With a single blow, Aerodactyl was able to defeat Gill's Pokémon in but two minutes.

Gill closed his eyes as he recalled his beaten Pikachu. He took out his next Pokémon, knowing damn well that this would one would clean up the mess. Poliwrath came out from the Pokéball and was greatly excited to be a part of this match.

Poliwrath took to the battlefield and flexed his muscles to show off how ready he was. Aerodactyl tried to make quick works of Poliwrath by using Thunder Fang. His sharp teeth began to spark with electricity as he flew in for a quick kill. Poliwrath braced himself for the very worse as Gill told him to whip up a ferocious Surf.

Poliwrath did just that as he kicked up a surge of water. He used all of that water to crash into Aerodactyl before the dragon could use his attack. The water was nearly overwhelming as it knocked Aerodactyl onto his back, forcing the fossil to take a moment to regain his footing. Poliwrath took advantage of this exposure by using Bubblebeam next to put an end to him. The explosions of bubbles proved to be too much for the living fossil as Aerodactyl submitted to Poliwrath.

Lance didn't fear at all as he sent out his next Pokémon, which turned out to be Kingdra. Gill was well versed in battling this Pokémon since Lance's cousin did have this Pokémon as well. So Gill knew he would just have to apply some of the strategy he used to fight Clair's Kingdra to take down the one that belonged to Lance.

Poliwrath was on it too as he took after the dragon. Kingdra tried to put a stop to him by using Smokescreen to make a mess of things. However, Poliwrath and Gill were expecting that one. Poliwrath used Bubblebeam to push through the cloud of smoke. The reflections cast off from the bubbles actually helped to show Poliwrath where Kingdra was hiding.

Gill tried to end this match quickly by having Poliwrath use Dynamic Punch. With his fist glowing with power, Poliwrath charged forward to put a smashing onto Kingdra. However, Lance was ready for that. He told Kingdra to use Hydro Pump to put a stop to Poliwrath. The heavy blast of water managed to crash into Poliwrath, forcing Gill's fighter to pull back before getting seriously injured.

Poliwrath smacked his fists together before throwing himself back into the smoke field. He didn't care if Hydro Pump did some hurting on him. He wanted to take Kingdra down because he wanted to be the Pokémon of a Champion. If was possibly safe to assume that Poliwrath wanted this as badly as Gill did.

Poliwrath took his vengeance out on Kingdra by using Double Slap. Poliwrath slapped Kingdra as many times as he could before finally getting tired. After the tenth or eleventh slap, Poliwrath finally stopped so that he wouldn't do any permanent damage to the already battered Kingdra. Lance was actually surprised that Gill chose that of all attacks.

Gill had it all planned though. He told Poliwrath to use Dynamic Punch one more time, which actually pulled through this time. Kingdra was still recovering from being slapped so much so he didn't have time to dodge the fist that was coming straight at him. With his empowered fist, Poliwrath was able to put a serious hurting on Kingdra. Poliwrath was able to put enough damage to knock Kingdra out with one, powerful hit.

Kingdra was down, leaving Lance with only four more Pokémon.

Next, Lance chose one of his many Dragonite with high hopes of squashing Gill's dreams. Although that was a cruel thing to think there was no way that Lance was about to relinquish his title to anyone just yet. If Gill wanted that crown then he'd have to pry them from Lance's cold, dead hands.

Dragonite took center stage, uncurling his orange and blue wings to do a quick stretch. While the dragon was distracted, Gill tried to end things quickly by having Poliwrath use Scald. Hoping that the boiling hot water would be enough, Poliwrath fired the water from his body which was a direct hit. Dragonite flinched when the hot water came into contact with his body, but quickly shrugged it off before glaring over at Poliwrath.

That's when Dragonite performed a vicious Thunder attack. The antenna on Dragonite's head began to spark as a band of electricity escaped his body. Dragonite unleashed the full power of Thunder against Poliwrath, putting a serious shock into Poliwrath so suddenly. Poliwrath was left standing completely still once the attack was over but soon found himself crashing to the ground, unable to go on any longer.

Another one of Gill's Pokémon had been defeated, leaving him with only five. Gill knew he still had the numbers on his side, but he wasn't certain how much longer they'd last. He sent out Hitmontop next, hoping that his kicker would be able to put a hurting onto Dragonite.

Hitmontop started to do a Rapid Spin to bring up his speed. Lance huffed at this attempt as he told Dragonite to use a Hyper Beam. As the spinning cyclone got closer, Dragonite took a very deep breath before firing out a powerful beam of energy. The attack ripped through Hitmontop's Rapid Spin where it hit Hitmontop with a critical hit.

Hitmontop went flying out of his own attack, which soon dissipated. He crashed into the ground, while Dragonite was left recharging after such a powerful attack. Hitmontop struggled to get back up, but he refused to surrender as he took off running to the vulnerable Dragonite. Gill felt the determination coming from his Pokémon so he knew damn well not to let him down.

Gill told Hitmontop to use Triple Kick next to spice things up a bit. Hitmontop did just that, throwing three, sharp kicks at the mighty dragon. This caused Dragonite to cry out in pain as he had no means to defend himself due to Hyper Beam. Before the dragon could attack again though, Hitmontop used Double Kick to put a final hurting on him.

Dragonite was forced to fly back as the strong attack crashed into him. However, Dragonite repositioned his wings to pull him back up just as Lance told him to use Hyper Beam once more. With another powerful beam of energy, Dragonite unleashed his Hyper Beam which struck gold the moment that it crashed into Hitmontop.

Unable to do anything, Gill watched as his Hitmontop fell to the ground, left unable to battle due to taking a second Hyper Beam directly. Gill thanked his Pokémon for trying so hard before taking out his next Pokéball, calling on his Typhlosion to burn things up. Typhlosion emerged from the Pokéball and sent flames coming out.

Gill wasted not even a moment to exploit Dragonite's vulnerable moment. He told Typhlosion to use Flamethrower, hoping that Poliwrath and Hitmontop had done enough damage to make this work. Typhlosion expelled a great breath of fire from his body which quickly burned against Dragonite's scales. Dragonite crashed down to the ground, dropping down to his knees as the burn left him unable to battle any longer.

Lance obliged to this win as he took out his next Pokéball. He chose for his Charizard to burn everything to a crisp. The mighty, red dragon emerged from the Pokéball with a great spell of fire expelling from him. The flame on his tail glowed brightly with fire being blown out from his mouth as Charizard made his presence known.

The two Fire-types stared at one another, both itching to rip the other apart.

Charizard made the first move as he used Air Slash against Typhlosion. He slashed his sharp claws through the air, firing sharp blades of wind at Gill's Pokémon. Typhlosion didn't want to be bothered by such a weak attack so he belched out another Flamethrower to take care of this mess. Charizard then emerged from this flames, practically unscratched, as he used his claws to strike against Typhlosion.

Typhlosion latched onto Charizard before any damage could be done. The two had their hands locked as they tried to outdo each other in a shoving match. The two Fire-types growling and blowing smoke in the other's faces, hoping to do something about their foe. Charizard was the first to actually blow the fire, which Typhlosion returned with glee.

They kept blast each other with fire, while continuing trying to overwhelm the other. Their feet started to drag into the ground as they cracked it against their might and weight. Once more, Charizard, boldly, made the first move during their match. Charizard broke free from their hand grip then tried to use Dragon Claw to slash apart Typhlosion. His claws neared Typhlosion, but Typhlosion sent a Flamethrower out from his mouth.

The flames burned against even a mighty dragon like Charizard, however, the ripple effects of Dragon Claw pulsed throughout Typhlosion's body. The two Pokémon were blown away by their combined attacks and were knocked down to the ground. The two giants slowly began to get back up though, at the behest of their Trainers.

Typhlosion wanted to make the first move this time, however. He used Blast Burn to unleash a storm of fire from his being, which left him vulnerable to attack. Charizard took advantage of his opportunity as he fought through the scorching heat to make his move. The flames, however, slowly got to even Charizard as he used Dragon Claw once more.

The heat and draconic energy did not mix well once more as the attacks exploded against one another. Both Typhlosion and Charizard were blown across the arena where they came crashing down once more. This time though, neither one got back up as exhaustion took over these two Fire-types.

Lance and Gill sent their Pokémon back into the Pokéball before starting up the next round.

Umbreon found himself coming up against another one of Lance's Dragonite. Gill knew that he had to use speed to rip away the health that belonged to this might dragon. So he had Umbreon take off with a Quick Attack like he had used during the match against Gyarados. Lance recognized this maneuver and knew that they couldn't have any of this.

Lance had his Dragonite show no mercy as he started things off with a Hyper Beam. As Umbreon was coming in for the kill, Dragonite flapped his wings to blow Umbreon back with a light gust. Dragonite then unleashed the Hyper Beam from his mouth which he used to strike with a strong and heavy, critical blow. Umbreon went sailing across the arena where he crashed only inches away from Gill's feet, beaten by a single attack.

That was really bad, Gill figured that this one would be stronger then the last. Gill understood that he would have to use one of his two big guns. He still had Skarmory left, but he chose to hold off a little while longer before using him. Lance still had one more Pokémon after this Dragonite that still needed to be beaten. Gill decided on one of his two advantages, taking the Pokéball out to release his Dewgong.

Dewgong emerged from her Pokéball with a great amount of glee coming out of her. She took to the center of the stage just as Dragonite was suffering from the effects of Hyper Beam. Gill exploited this by having Dewgong use Ice Beam to its full power. Without her being disturbed, Dewgong freely unleashed a chilling beam that struck against Dragonite's being.

Dragonite cried out as the freezing attack made his entire body tense up. The dragon fought through the icy pain, however, and wanted to really do something about that. Lance felt the pain of his dragon as he commanded him to use Dragon Rush.

Dragonite did just that as he gathered all of his draconic power. Dragonite brought his body forward, unleashing the attack all at once against Dewgong. Gill tried to stop the progress of this attack by having Dewgong use Whirlpool. Dewgong quickly unleashed the vortex of water that grew rapidly on top of her nose. The watery vortex easily trapped Dragonite, cancelling out the full effect of Dragon Rush.

Now that he bought himself a little more time, Gill couldn't afford to take any more chance. He quickly had Dewgong use Blizzard to finish Dragonite off before it was too late. Dewgong blew out a storm of ice from her being, which struck against Dragonite. The dragon soon found himself pelted by a freezing blizzard that Lance did not like at all once he saw his Pokémon defeated.

"All right!" Lance shouted, his voice booming with power. "I thought this would never happen, but you left me with no other choice!"

Lance sent out his final Pokémon, which turned out to be another Dragonite. The Dragon Master refused to show any mercy as he pulled out all the stops to unsure his own victory. He would not allow Gill to take this crown from him. Nobody would defeat him, he was a Pokémon Master for a reason!

"Fire Blast!" shouted the Dragon Master.

Dragonite unleashed the blast of fire from his mouth that Gill quickly had put out by having Dewgong use Surf. Enough water was summoned to kill the flames that allowed Gill to sigh in relief just as Dragonite was coming in with a Dragon Rush. Dewgong tried to stop Dragonite the same way as she did to the previous one by using Whirlpool.

This time, however, Lance was ready for that tactic. He had Dragonite dispel his own attack just so he could withstand the incoming Whirlpool. Dragonite took hold of the attack just as it attempted to bring him down. Gill tried to exploit this distraction by using Ice Beam on his opponent. Dewgong fired the chilling beam of ice, but Lance had predicted that as well.

Dragonite quickly threw the Whirlpool into the air where it broke apart. Droplets of water started to drizzle around the Pokémon as Dragonite quickly expelled a Hyper Beam from his being. Lance's strongest Pokémon would not submit so easily to an Ice-type attack. Their two attacks met at the center where they soon found themselves trapped before Dragonite, obviously, overpowered Dewgong.

Hyper Beam crashed into Dewgong, reducing her low defenses down to zero. With Dewgong defeated, one of Gill's best chances of winning had been taken from him. He agreed to send out his Skarmory out next, in hopes of shaving off some health points from Dragonite. This might be able to buy him a chance to pull off a victory against the Pokémon Master.

Gill knew just how badly he needed this to work.

Skarmory took the air with Dragonite still stuck to the ground. Dragonite had to recharge after using Hyper Beam, which gave Gill a few moments to attack. Skarmory used Sword Dance to boost up his attack power before diving in with an Aerial Ace. Skarmory managed to deliver a direct blow into Dragonite's chest, which seemed to succeed in doing some solid damage.

However, Dragonite wouldn't submit so easily.

Next on his list, Lance had Dragonite use Outrage against his opponent. As Skarmory tried to get away, Dragonite found himself completely lost in his rage. Dragonite gave out a fearful growl before springing after Skarmory to strike with heavy blow. The dragon repeatedly attacked Skarmory with his fists before the Steel-type finally had nothing left to fight with.

With the rapid succession of attacks, Dragonite defeated Skarmory and left Gill with but one Pokémon to battle with.

So it all came down to this. Gill held onto his final Pokémon after sending Skarmory back for a long rest. It seemed almost poetic that his very first Pokémon would be the last Pokémon he'd battle with against the Pokémon Champion. It also seemed right that it came down to this that Gill would have to use a Pokémon given to him by the Dragon Sages against the Dragon Master.

Gill kissed his Pokéball, praying for fortune to smile upon him. He then released his Dragonair, knowing in his heart that she'd be able to bring him victory. He told his Dragonair to give it her all, which she wasted no time in doing as she took to the battlefield. With a strong cry, Dragonair was soon consumed by light as her shape quickly changed.

Dragonair was no more, she was now a Dragonite as well.

This sudden evolution came as a surprise to Gill and Lance. Even Lance's Dragonite seemed surprised and even glad to see this female Dragonite on the battlefield. Gill's Dragonite gave out a strong yell as she stood her ground, ready to battle with everything that she had in her.

This was just beyond perfect, in Gill's book!

"Alright, Dragonite," said Gill, "let's do this! Dragon Pulse!"

"Fire Blast now!" shouted Lance.

The two Dragonite used their attacks to their full potential against one another. The violet storm from Gill's Dragonite and the fiery inferno from Lance's Dragonite met at the center of the arena. Their two attacks ripped through one another, turning into nothing but smoke and ash before becoming nothing at all.

Their Dragonite sprang forth to attack as they took flight. Lance's Dragonite quickly latched onto Gill's Dragonite, hoping to overpower the lady. She refused to submit to the male, however, as she leaned forward to bite into her opponent's shoulder. That Dragonite howled with pain and soon loosened his grip, which she quickly exploited to her advantage. Gill's Dragonite smashed her fist across the face of Lance's Dragonite, while letting out a warrior's growl.

Lance's Dragonite flew higher into the arena, shamefully being punch in the face by a female. That did not bode well for him. Dragonite tried to use Hyper Beam to get back at her, but Gill's Dragonite was smart enough to fall for something so simple. She flew out of the Hyper Beam's way, allowing it to miss her to exploit the recharge period that her foe suffered from. She took off flying as quickly as she could and soon latched onto her opponent this time.

"Seismic Toss!" Gill shouted.

Gill's Dragonite began to circle around the arena, while keeping her grip on Lance's Dragonite strong. After their sixth circle, she took her opponent upward before taking an immediate dive-bomb down to the ground. Gill's Dragonite then proceeded to toss her opponent straight for the ground where a rough landing waited for him.

There was nothing that Lance could do to spare his Pokémon at this point. Lance just watched as his Dragonite crashed to the ground, left in defeat by the might of this child and his Pokémon. A smile began to grow on his face as the determined Champion and Dragon Master saw his crown drift off to a truly, remarkable and worthy Trainer. Yes, it was finally time for Lance to step down to a Trainer who was worthy of stepping up to the mantel of Champion.

Lance withdrew his beaten Pokémon just as Gill's Dragonite landed beside him. "It's over, but it's an odd feeling. I'm not angry that I lost. In fact, I'm happy," said Lance. With nothing else to do, Lance bowed before the winner of this battle, a boy from New Bark Town. The Dragon Master flung his cape back over his shoulder and gave a graceful bow to a new Pokémon Master. "I am happy that I get to witness the rise of a great, new Champion!"

Gill started to blush in embarrassment of this, while Dragonite stood there with a smile on her face.

* * *

This moment had yet to end as the battle was constantly replaying in his head.

Gill Hart could still not believe that this had happened as he made his way down a dark room with Lance leading the way. The boy from New Bark Town had toppled the Champion of the Indigo Plateau, becoming its new Champion in the process. The realization was enough to make Gill giddy with joy, but he was still fighting to process all of this information. Even now, Gill was about to be put into the Hall of Fame to forever be recognized as a Champion of the Indigo Plateau.

Lance said nothing as he graciously relinquished his title over to the fourteen year old boy. The Dragon Master had waited a longtime for this moment. He finally had the challenge that he had been so longing for and now it was time for him to step down so that another Champion can have his reign. Lance knew that Gill would make a great Champion the moment that he met the boy. Now, there would be no denying Gill as he was now the youngest Champion ever for the Indigo Plateau.

The two of them went deeper into the dark room until they finally made it to a large, central computer. There was a large slot in the center with seven pods circling around it. Gill looked at this machine, wondering what it would do when suddenly all of the lights came on. Gill was startled but soon calmed down once he saw the Elite Four joining them in this room. A few other men and women were present as well, the rest seemed a little more official in their suits compared to the casually dressed Elite Four.

Lance turned to face all of these newcomers then placed a hand on Gill's shoulder. The Dragon Master bore a smile on his face as he welcomed them all. "A new day has risen," Lance announced to the small crowd. "My day as Champion of the Indigo Plateau has finally come to an end. Gill Hart of New Bark Town has defeated the Elite Four and myself on this day. Let it be recognized that Gill Hart is now the Champion of the Indigo Plateau, now he is a Pokémon Master."

The officials and the Elite Four agreed with Lance's declaration, which made Gill's heart swell with pride. The hand left Gill's shoulder with Lance getting the boy to turn his attention onto the machine before them. Lance told Gill that this was the Hall of Fame recorder. It's whole purpose was to record the achievements of all Trainers who had conquered the Indigo Plateau as either the Champion of Kanto or Johto.

The former Champion pulled up a screen, ready to insert Gill as the newest Champion. There was a blank image on the screen with it leading towards three other Champions. One was of Lance, the other was of Gill's father, and the third was of the mysterious Kanto Champion. The boy known as Red had his face mostly covered by the cap he wore, but his pale flesh and dark hair was still exposed as he smile in victory.

Gill handed his Trainer Card over to Lance and also relinquished all of his Pokéballs. Everything was loaded into the machine so that Gill's background information and the Pokémon he used to conquer the Elite Four would be forever recognized. The last thing needed to be done was to have his picture taken.

And with a flash from the camera, Gill's image was programmed into the computer so that he would forever be included in the Indigo Plateau's Hall of Fame.

Gill Hart was under all technicalities the Champion of the Indigo Plateau. However, there were still some public channels that he had to go through in order for his Champion status to be undisputed. Really all that was left for him to do was for Gill to have a ceremony at the Pokémon League's Johto Headquarters. So all Gill had to do was return to the Indigo Plateau to attend the party in his honor where he'd be crowned for the public to see.

* * *

Less than a week after his victory, Gill found himself back at the Indigo Plateau for the ceremony.

All the new cameras in his face and the dozen reporters asking their questions was nearly overwhelming to Gill. He kind of forgot the celebrity status that came with being a Champion. Not only were you a role model for Trainers, but you pretty much became a pop culture icon. It was intimidating, but Gill would come to use to it in time.

The league officials worked on removing the reporters from the young Champion once the interview was over. Gill sighed in relief as he found a secluded spot to adjust himself in the tuxedo that he was wearing. He ran a hand through his perfectly straight black hair that his mother spent an hour fixing so that it wouldn't move or curl up.

Gill saw his family at the table, chatting and laughing as they finished their dinner.

Lyra looked stunning in her red dress, which made her look like a movie star. She rested her head on Brendon's shoulder who wore a nice, blue shirt with the matching tie and a pair of black slacks. They looked like a beautiful couple and Gill felt happy to see that his sister had found someone she loved that much.

His parents looked beyond happy as his mother cradled their baby in her arms. Molly and Victor both shared a look of such class, such sophistication that it was no question that they raised their children properly. Even Kent was behaving rather well, which was surprising since he was only a few months old. Gill was expecting his baby brother to be screaming at the top of his lungs, but it seemed that the newborn enjoyed being the center of attention since everyone had to take a look at the cute baby.

It was a fine party though, Gill couldn't complain at all as he took a look around to see everyone else who was present.

At one table, Professor Oak and Professor Elm were discussing their theories on Pokémon with their wives present at the table. Professor Elm's son looked horribly bored before he took off running to the table where the Hart family was sitting at.

Lance sat with his cousin, Clair, and the Dragon Sage Elder. Morty was present at their table as well. They all briefly stole glances over at Gill as they discussed matters in private. Gill didn't notice these looks, but if he had then he would've known it would probably have something to do with him being the "Chosen Trainer".

Will, Karen, Bruno, and Koga sat together at another table. They were all dressed appropriately for the occasion, especially Bruno who finally had a shirt on. Falkner, Jasmine, Whitney, and Bugsy took up another table. Pryce and Chuck were at another table with a few faces that Gill wasn't familiar with. There were more faces that Gill didn't recognize either. Victor had informed Gill that the Gym Leaders from the Kanto region were present at the ceremony as well.

One of the Kanto Gym Leaders, in particular, zeroed in on Gill.

The young man had spiky, brown hair and sharp brown eyes. He was lean and very toned so he easily gained the attention of all the ladies present as he strolled towards Gill in his rather dashing tuxedo. Gill turned to see this unfamiliar face but he would soon no longer be strangers with the young man.

"I'm Blue Oak," said the young man. "I'm Professor Oak's grandson and the Gym Leader of Viridian City. Once upon a time ago, I was also the Kanto Champion, for about a month."

Gill soon found himself shaking the hand of this young man named Blue. He was jaw dropped to hear the young man practically tell Gill his whole life story when he had no reason to. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Oak," Gill said, politely. "I'm thankful that you chose to attend my ceremony."

"Not like I had anything else to do," Blue said, shrugging his shoulders. "Oh, and don't call me Mr. Oak, that's my dad. Stick with calling me Blue. Anyways, maybe you and I should have a battle sometime. I'm pretty much always at the Viridian Gym, so if you're looking for a real challenge then swing by sometime. I'm always waiting to be challenged by a Trainer who actually knows how to battle."

"I'm sure that would be fun," Gill said, holding back the urge to laugh.

Blue nodded his head at Gill before turning away to sweep a crowd of swooning girls off their feet.

Without anyone there to distract him, this party was becoming dreadfully boring to him. Gill gave out a heavy sigh as he started to make his way back to his family's table, in hopes of finding a distraction. He sat down and soon found himself dragged into the conversation of the moment.

Everyone was debating just how Kent should be raised. Lyra had her vote for making Kent into a Pokémon Instructor, Molly wanted her son to become a doctor, and Victor argued for Kent to become a Trainer. The three of them couldn't seem to reach an agreement with Kent, so it was up to Gill to cast his vote.

It looked like it was up to the Champion to save the day. Gill kind of thought his family were idiots for not reaching this conclusion on their own, but things happened when one got excited. "How about you just let Kent decide for himself?" Gill told them. "Maybe he wants to be none of those things. It would be hard for Kent to become a Trainer because he'll have to live in the shadow of his dad and older brother. Kent should have a say so in who he wants to be when he gets older. Besides, I'm hoping he'll end up being a rockstar. Somebody in this family has to have to some talent."

Molly rolled her eyes, but they all couldn't help but to laugh at what Gill had to say. The laughter at their table was contagious as other tables started to laugh at their own jokes.

The night was a happy one filled with joy, yet something didn't feel quite right. Gill couldn't exactly put his tongue on it, but there was something missing from this night. If only he could figure out what that was so he would make this night a perfect one for him. It had been such a longtime since he had a perfect night or even a good one, not counting the day he became Champion.

So as the music softened, Gill was unaware of the footsteps that got louder as they drew nearer. A young man in a white tuxedo made his way over to Gill to fulfill a promise that was made. Gill was completely lost to oblivion too so it came as quite the surprise when he saw a hand reach out to him from the corner of his eye.

Gill turned around and his entire face began to burst with a big smile. His hazel eyes started to light up as he took the hand without any hesitation and soon found himself being dragged into his feet. He followed the young man to the dance floor where other couples had gathered, including his own family.

Gill wrapped his arms around Silver's shoulders, still smiling as he looked up to the gray-eyed boy. Silver smiled too as his hands locked onto Gill's hips, holding onto them as they both danced and swayed to the music. Silver cleaned up rather nicely in the expensive suit he had on, his hair was neatly combed down, and he smelt so damn good that he had to be wearing cologne.

"I'm happy that you're here," the Champion whispered. "Why are you here again?"

Silver laughed as he pulled Gill closer towards his chest. Gill happily obliged to this closeness as he held onto Silver tighter. "Your dad managed to steal my number from your phone," said Silver. "He gave me an invite. It looks like your dad likes me or loves you enough to do this for you."

"Yay dad," Gill said, laughing with Silver.

"Yeah, but did you forget what you made me promise you?" asked Silver. "You asked me to dance with you after you became Champion…so here I am."

Gill couldn't help but to keep on smiling as he danced with Silver. The stars and the moon began to sneak in from outside as the tent was slowly undone to allow the moonlight to greet everyone. Gill stayed dancing in Silver's arms, feeling perfectly content with the way that his life had turned out at this point.

It was a shame to think how different things could've been if he had never met Silver. If he never saw him snooping around at Professor Elm's lab, or fought him in Cherrygrove, or got attack by Team Rocket. All those moments had brought him closer to Silver, to allow the boy to reach that conclusion that he truly liked Silver when he kissed him at Goldenrod City. Then they made love on the ocean to Cianwood City and in the Pokémon Center at Mahogany Town. And they finally professed their true, honest love for one another at the Whirl Islands.

Silver seemed to be thinking the same thing as he held onto Gill. He stared at this beautiful boy and felt his heart just hammering against him. To think that his father didn't want to feel such emotions. He owed so much to Gill. The boy…no, the Champion had given him a new lease out on life. Gill's love had saved him from eternal darkness. Silver knew that he was still trapped in the dark but at least now there was the moon and stars now that he had Gill with him.

"I love you, Gill Hart," Silver whispered, softly.

"I love you too, Silver," Gill whispered as he felt himself crumble in Silver's arms.

"Sol," the red head whispered to him. "My name is Silver Sol."

The smile on Gill's face widened, but this he hid as he buried his face against Silver's chest. He finally knew his boyfriend's full name. As weird as that was, Gill finally could believe that this was real and very much like true love.

"I love you too, Silver Sol," Gill said, correcting himself. "I love you with all my heart."

Silver couldn't find a way to argue with that at all as he continued to dance with Gill before leaning down to plant a soft kiss on his cheek.

And as for the Champion, well, this really did turn out to be the perfect night.


	26. Chapter 25

**Author's Note: **Well, family visiting kept me from updating the way I wanted to, but I tried to make this chapter good for you! A lot of you sent me your theories on what might happen next, some of which I hadn't thought of. But Gill's journey is far from over. For the remainder of the fic, I will be focusing more on Gill and Silver's relationship. You'll see what I have planned soon enough. Enjoy this chapter! Read and review.**  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Five:**

At fifteen years old, Gill Hart was nearing the top of the Pokémon League as the Champion of the Indigo Plateau. Gill's victory over the Elite Four and Lance had elevated the boy to a new status of Trainer, he was a Champion. The youngest of all the current Champions as well as setting the record of the Indigo Plateau. Now, the boy had nothing but spare time as he lounged around his home, looking out the window in his bedroom to see the stars at night.

The young Champion just laid there, unable to find himself drift off to sleep. He contemplated going downstairs to get some hot tea to put himself to sleep, but his body refused to move an inch there. He just kept to himself on that soft bed of his and stayed there until his body was finally able to succumb to his need for sleep.

It was amazing to see how the year flew by now. Gill had the occasional challenge now that he was Champion, but he always managed to win and retained his title. The battles at the Indigo Plateau weren't as fun and as exciting as they used to be when he first started. Battling just didn't have the same spark as it used to, not since he had no one to truly challenge him.

So something else had to be done to revitalize Gill. He spent a lot of time helping Lyra and Brendon out in Goldenrod City, helping teach young Trainers to better their techniques. He traveled throughout the entire region to the other Trainer schools as well, offering help from the Champion of the Indigo Plateau.

Gill Hart was a beacon of light to these young Trainers, a source of great inspiration. Helping these Trainers out was enough to bring back some of that spark for him. It still wasn't enough though to help Gill retrieve that motivation that he lost after being crowned Champion. It wasn't enough, he needed something more.

Not even his time with Silver would help him. In the past year, the two had seemed to have grown closer yet further apart all at the same time. Gill would find Silver who was busy training his Pokémon in order to become a better Trainer. They reunited at least two or three times a month for a day or two. Their brief reunions were always good, but too short to make Gill feel like it mattered. Their relationship didn't feel as wonderful as it used to when Gill was traveling across Johto to get the eight badges.

The spark for everything was just gone for the boy; life wasn't as meaningful as it used to be.

Gill turned his body onto the side and pulled the blanket further up his naked chest. He felt the warmth it provided as he continued to see the moon and stars crack in from the partly opened blinds. He heard the soft humming of Kent's noise maker from the room next door to him. It was by paying close attention to that soft humming that rocked Gill to a gentle sleep.

And as the young Champion finally went to sleep, his mind began to wander out into the ether until something reached out for him. In his dreams, Gill saw the image of a rainbow-colored bird soaring through the skies. The bird flew above a body of water and was soon greeted by Lugia who rose out through the sea. Gill knew that this rainbow-colored Pokémon must've been Ho-Oh then.

Ho-Oh and Lugia flew into the air together until they reached a chain of mountains. The mountains were spread everywhere with a central peak rising up to high into the air. The mountain peak was a familiar location to Gill, which he recognized to be Mount Silver. Ho-Oh and Lugia flew up to the peak of Mt. Silver before disappearing into the blinding sunlight.

But at the peak of the mountain, Gill saw himself standing at the top of Mt. Silver. The dream version of him had a Pokéball in hand with another young man standing opposite of him. This stranger was dressed in all red, his black hair covered by a red cap, and his arms were crossed as he stood perfectly still.

The morning sun warmed Gill's skin as he finally opened his eyes, the dream coming to an end.

It was then that Gill realized what he needed to do.

He needed to face a stronger challenger.

What he needed to do was to fight against a Champion, a true Pokémon Champion.

* * *

Kent sat on his dad's lap with a cheerful smile on the baby boy's face. He was only one and it was plenty obvious that he looked plenty like his dad. The boy had dark-brown hair with hazel colored eyes. He looked a lot like his dad and his big brother, but had his mother and sister's personalities.

At least that's how things looked for the one year old boy.

Victor sat in Kent's bedroom that morning after he finished helping his wife feed their son. The Johto Champion waved the stuffed Pichu doll in front of his son as the boy laughed with the Pokémon doll getting in his face. Kent tried to snatch the doll away from his father, but Victor was good at playing Keep Away, which seemed to frustrate little Kent a bit.

"My toy!" Kent cried, trying to take the doll.

"No," laughed Victor, "my toy. This is my toy."

"No!" cried the boy, stretching the word out a mile.

Victor continued to laugh at his youngest when he heard a knock on the door. The Champion turned his head to the side to see Gill standing at the doorway with a tired look in his eyes. Victor had noticed the change going on with Gill the past year since becoming Champion. Gill always seem so drained lately, so unmotivated now that he nearly reached the top. It was almost like nothing could bring that spark back to him, not even Silver's occasional visits.

So Victor greeted his son with an open arm since he needed the other to hold Kent. He watched carefully as Gill walked into the bright, blue room then sat down on the tiny bed. Gill's long, thing legs dangled from the edge of the bedrail that kept Kent from rolling off at night. The young Master gave out a soft sight, twirling his thumbs around as he avoided his father's gaze.

"What is it, Gill?" asked Victor. "What's bothering you?"

"I need a real challenge," Gill finally spoke. "I have to battle someone who can give me a challenge. I need to find something to bring that spark in me."

Victor nodded his head, understanding what Gill was coming from. He had felt a similar feeling after becoming Champion. It was hard to find out something to motivate a Trainer after becoming a Champion, but not impossible. "And how do you plan on finding that?" asked his father. Somehow, Victor had a feeling he knew exactly where Gill wanted to go with his. It would only make sense since Gill's status as Champion was a bit incomplete.

"If you don't mind…I need us to battle," said Gill. "I have to battle you, and if I win then I'll be a real Champion."

"Alright," Victor said, smiling at his son. "We'll have our battle then we'll see who is worthy of being the Champion of Johto."

* * *

Within a week, all the preparations had been made for their big showdown. Gill and Victor Hart would battle against one another for the title of Johto Champion. The Indigo Plateau's outer arena would house the live, televised battle that would play to the Johto, Kanto, and all the other regions of the world. The Pokémon League knew that they could get a great deal of funding from this battle, an epic showdown to become a Champion.

A Trainer could battle for the title of Champion and no fuss would be made. Only when a member of the Elite Four attempted to battle the Champion then the event would be televised. It was considered a huge event whenever a member of the Elite Four would attempt to overthrow the current Champion. Since Gill was the Champion of the Indigo Plateau, he was not the official Champion of Johto since he only battled against Lance. Battling Victor would be the only way that Gill could earn the title.

So the League ate up the opportunity to show a battle between father vs. son, champion vs. champion.

The outer arena of the Indigo Plateau was simply a stadium with an open roof on top. Nearly a thousand people could easily fit to watch the battles, not including the private booths for the special guests. Within the private booths were the higher ups of the Pokémon League, the Gym Leaders of Johto and Kanto, and the invited guests.

Molly held Kent in her arms as she looked out the large windows with Lyra and Brendon there with her. Professor Elm and Professor Oak were present as well, discussing new theories on Pokémon Evolution before the battle began. The Gym Leaders took great interest in this match as they wondered just who would come out victorious of this battle. Silver was present as well, but he hung out by the sides with a glass of wine in hand, eyes closed as he waited for the battle to begin.

The current Champions and members of the Elite Four from the different regions gathered at another room that housed the League Officials. Cynthia and Wallace stood by the windows as they discussed the chances that Gill had at defeating his father. The Unova Champion, Alder, arrived just in time to see the match. His red and orange hair was a spiky mess at the front with a ponytail at the back of his neck. He wore a bulky, white poncho with a black shirt underneath and white, torn pants. A chain of Pokéballs dangled around his neck as he moved through the crowded room. The muscular Champion joined the other two, greeting them for the first time in ages.

"You think this kid has what it takes?" asked Alder. "I've seen Victor battle, he's ruthless."

"He will not easily submit to his son!" said Wallace. "That would be a great dishonor to himself and to his son. Victor will fight until he cannot fight any longer."

"I believe in Gill's potential, he has a heart as bright as the stars," said Cynthia. "If Gill pushes himself hard enough then he might be able to defeat his father."

"The boy won't win," said a fourth voice. "His heart might be strong, but his will is weak. His body will cave to the pressure."

The three Champions looked behind them to see a young man dressed in a black suit with a black cap covering part of his face. The young man kept the hat down, covering as much of his dark hair as he possibly could. He silently stood by the wall where he sipped on the glass of champagne in his hand.

The Champions watched the Champion of Kanto, wondering just when he decided to show up.

Before anything else could be said, the announcement was made to inform everyone that the battle between father and son was about to begin. The true Champion of Johto would be decided on this day, either the father's rule would continue or his son will find the strength to overthrow him. Either way, today would go down in history as one of the biggest Pokémon battles in the history of Johto and the Indigo Plateau.

* * *

Lance stood at the center of the arena with Victor and Gill standing on opposite sides of him. The Dragon Master stood with his arms crossed, while he stood to referee the match between the two Champions. Victor and Gill waited patiently as Lance began to explain the rules for this Championship battle between father and son.

The Hart men were dressed presentably for their big battle. Victor had on a white suit that contrasted nicely against his muscular figure. Gill dressed simply in a black long-sleeve with a white pair of jeans and boots. They both watched each other as they waited for their battle to finally begin.

"The rules are simple," said the Dragon Master, "you will fight a seven-on-seven battle. This battle will only allow substitutions at the end of every round. The winner of this battle will then be the undisputed Champion of Johto, understood?"

"Understood," said the competitors.

Lance nodded his head, pushing his cape over his shoulder. He went to his position at the ring, while Victor and Gill went to their respective places.

Now that was taken care of, the match could officially begin!

Victor released his first Pokéball after making the decision to start things off with a bang. The Johto Champion chose to use his Raichu first, knowing that Gill didn't have many options to defend against this Pokémon. Raichu sprang to his feet with his yellow-brown body exposed to everyone as he swung his lightning bolt tail around. The Mouse Pokémon shot small sparks from his yellow cheeks, feeling very ready to battle against their opponent.

Gill took out his Pokéball, wishing for luck as he sent out his first Pokémon out to the stage. He had chosen to use his Ursaring for this battle, knowing that her strength could help him out. The Hibernation Pokémon swung her massive fists around as she took a good look at her smaller opponent. She was ready for this; she was ready to make her Trainer into a true Champion.

Raichu got moving with a surprising amount of speed for something so large. Raichu was consumed by an electrical aura as he rushed towards Ursaring, using Volt Tackle to put a hurting on Gill's Pokémon. That wouldn't be done though, Gill had Ursaring defend herself by using Rock Smash to block out the incoming Volt Tackle. Ursaring brought her fist forward that knocked into the incoming Raichu, shattering the electrical spell that it wove.

Raichu landed without much trouble, but Ursaring was left feeling more of the pain. Sparks started to travel around Ursaring's body as it showed to Gill the first signs of paralysis. If he wasn't careful and got hit with another electrical attack then Ursaring would be as good as buried. Gill knew that a paralysis could be a death sentence for him, this early in the game.

Not that he'd go down without a fight though.

Gill had Ursaring fight through the paralysis to the best of her ability. Ursaring pushed through it and followed Gill's orders to use Rock Tomb to bury their opponent. So by grabbing the nearby boulders on the field, Ursaring got to work throwing them over at Raichu. Victor had his Pokémon, however, avoid getting hit by using Raichu's speed to dodge the attacks. For the final boulder, Victor had his Raichu use Iron Tail to break it apart. Raichu's tail began to glow with a pale, silvery aura that he then used to smash the rock apart before it could do any harm to it.

The minute that the rock shattered, however, Gill already had his strategy thought up. Gill quickly responded to this opportunity by having Ursaring use Earthquake to spring the trap. Ursaring jumped into the air for a moment then came crashing down, generating a vicious quake that broke part of the field apart in that moment.

Earthquake pushed through the ring and as Raichu landed, the quake caught him. Even though Raichu tried to avoid getting hit by using his tail as a springboard that move is what got him stuck in the trap. Raichu got his tail stuck that moment and was brought completely down to the ground where the full blunt of the attack took hold of him.

Raichu fell completely down to the ground, no longer able to battle. With the first round over in Gill's favor, the Johto Champion recalled his Pokémon as Gill left Ursaring on the field, ready to start the next round. Victor decided that he really wanted to rumble things up a little so he chose to send out his vicious Pokémon. Tyranitar was the monstrosity that came out from the Pokéball. The Armor Pokémon was encased in green armor with his wickedly sharp fangs and claws exposed. His dark blue belly was even covered by a thick layer of armor, granting this Pokémon a lot of power to withstand anything.

And this is the moment where Gill wished he took the opportunity to switch out. He gulped once he saw his father's Tyranitar, realizing that he shouldn't have underestimated the man for even a second. With that in mind, Gill knew he had to get Ursaring to give it all that she had and then some.

Tyranitar called forth a Rock Slide to be brought up from the ground. The Armor Pokémon pushed the sliding rocks over towards Ursaring with merciless speed. The incoming boulders soon proved themselves to be too much for Ursaring to guard against. She would avoid or break a couple, only to be hit in the chest by others.

When the attack was over, Tyranitar sprang into action once more by coming after Ursaring using Thrash. Gill knew that he had to act soon so he immediately had Ursaring use Earthquake once more to block out the incoming attack. Stomping her foot down to make it quicker, Ursaring generated another Earthquake that went straight towards Tyranitar. This time, Victor expected this move so he had Tyranitar jump to avoid the worst of the quake.

Tyranitar came down towards the end of the attack with his landing shaking the ground as well. This slightly countered against Ursaring's Earthquake, but not enough to spare him from any damage. Tyranitar responded to this by using Focus Blast against Ursaring. Generating a silver ball between his hands, Tyranitar tossed his concentrated attack across the ring which soon found its way to knock Ursaring in the chest with a critical hit.

Ursaring crashed down to the ground, losing this battle against Tyranitar. Gill knew that this would happen so he thanked Ursaring as he recalled her from battle. He took out his next Pokéball just as Victor returned his Tyranitar, taking advantage of the substitutions allowed between rounds. Gill took a moment to reconsider using this Pokémon, but decided to just go with it just as Victor sent out his next Pokémon.

Victor's Scizor appeared on the battlefield just as Gill sent his Poliwrath out. Gill knew that this would be bad since he remembered how well of a fighter that Scizor was. The bright, red Pincer Pokémon swung his armored fists around. The steel that covered his body would make the Bug-type difficult to break into, but Gill had faith in his Poliwrath that and a lot of dumb luck.

Poliwrath started things off by firing a Water Gun over at Scizor. As pathetic of an attack as that was, Gill had a trick up his sleeve as he saw Scizor avoid it just as he expected. Scizor flew upward then was commanded to use X-Scissor to strike. Scizor crossed his fists over his lean torso before flying in straight after Poliwrath to slice him apart.

Scizor did his slash, but his attack missed by only a second as Poliwrath side-stepped out of the way at the last second. Gill knew that his father always had a bit of trouble with last minute maneuvers so he figured that would give him but a second to strike. If he waited a second longer then his father would recover to strike back with a heavy hand. So Gill immediately told Poliwrath to use his Dynamic Punch to bring the hurting.

Poliwrath jumped forward to smash his glowing fist across the face of Scizor. The impact was strong enough to blow Scizor away, but Scizor recovered enough for a pretty rough landing. Scizor's feet skidded across the dirt, but it did not stop him from using Iron Head. With his steel covered head glowing, Scizor took the charge after Poliwrath. Gill's Pokémon didn't have time to avoid getting hit so he did the next best thing which was to block it. Poliwrath tried to keep the head back by using his hands to push Scizor back, however, that wouldn't work. Scizor pushed Poliwrath's arms aside then took a final leap to smash him in the chest.

Poliwrath flew backward with the wind knocked out of him for a moment. Poliwrath had a hard time getting his breath back, but he was lucky that he did and that Scizor was a bit tired after using that last attack. Gill knew that he came too damn close to losing this round so he pulled his act together as he told Poliwrath to use Scald. He had to hope that the boiling water would be enough to slow Scizor down.

So Poliwrath pushed out the boiling water that did succeed in crashing into Scizor, which managed to slow him down a bit. Victor was a little surprised by this move, but was impressed, nonetheless. Gill had Poliwrath use this opportunity to their advantage by using Dynamic Punch one more time. With all the strength that Poliwrath could use, he took another swing at Scizor which was a complete success in knocking him out.

Scizor was down, which forced Victor to switch out Pokémon. Gill used this to his advantage by giving Poliwrath time to rest up as he switched out. Victor chose to use his own Gangar, which gave Gill the brilliant idea of using Umbreon to turn things up a bit. Gill felt that he was on a roll as he poured all his faith into Umbreon next, knowing that he could do this if he truly believed.

Victor tried to put up a brilliant fight this round as he had Gangar use Curse to inflict a curse upon Umbreon. The attack did the damage, but Gangar lost about half of his health in the process. Both Trainers were well aware of the type-advantage that Gill had, which would be quickly exploited to his full advantage.

Victor refused to submit so easily as he had Gangar use his dark Sucker Punch to chase after Umbreon. But the Moonlight Pokémon gracefully wove through the attack and went straight for the kill. Umbreon used Faint Attack from close range, releasing a beating of dark energy at Gangar which was way more then the Ghost-type could handle. One, good hit was all that was needed to beat Gangar down into a quick and painless submission.

That was a bit shameful on Victor's part as he saw just how effortlessly Gill was raking up the wins. The Champion wasn't just about to hand over his crown so easily, he would keep Gill's spirit high for now, but he had his trump cards that would easily crush him. He'd just weaken Gill's defenses for now before springing his own trap.

Tyranitar was released to walk around the field once more with Gill choosing Poliwrath to come back. Poliwrath touched the ground and soon found himself in trouble once Tyranitar went on the rampage with Thrash. Fists and feet were going straight towards Poliwrath, forcing Gill's fighter to get away from before it was too late. Poliwrath easily wove through the attack without too much trouble before deciding to up the stakes a little.

Poliwrath pushed out a Focus Blast, similar to what Tyranitar did to Ursaring a few rounds ago. The silvery ball ripped right out of Poliwrath's hand and crashed into Tyranitar, pushing the Armor Pokémon back a couple of feet. Exploiting this opening, Poliwrath took a very deep breath before firing a heavy Water Gun straight at his opponent. The full torrent of water proved to be too much for even Tyranitar to handle when considering all the damage that he took from before. So without further ado, Tyranitar came crashing down in defeat.

Victor decided that now was the time to make things a little more difficult for Gill. He took out his Pokéball and waited until after Gill chose to send out his Skarmory. Sending out his Pokéball, Victor released his Dragonite next to bring forth the pain that would bring Gill's chances of victory to a halt. Gill gulped when he saw his father's Dragonite as he remembered just how powerful that particular Pokémon was. It was, after all, his father's second strongest Pokémon in his possession.

Skarmory quickly boosted his stats by using Sword Dance and Agility, while Dragonite floated in the air. Skarmory circled around him with deadly speed and everyone had their eyes set to the ring where the battle was taking place. The crowd was itching with anticipation of just what type of attack that Gill and Victor would pull off.

Gill rushed things to a start by using Swift to test out the waters. Dragonite continued to fly in the air with the rush of stars crashing against his scaly torso. The attack did practically nothing against Dragonite, which led to the massive dragon to call forth a small cloud. A bolt of lightning came down as Dragonite called forth Thunder to the ring. Dragonite bend the band of thunder to his will, releasing the attack to strike against Skarmory with full force.

The rush of electricity quickly shot Skarmory down from the sky, leaving him unable to battle any longer.

Gill recalled his beaten Pokémon and took out his next Pokéball. He couldn't afford to use his own Dragonite just yet. Gill knew what Pokémon his father had left to battle with, he had to keep himself from using his own Dragonite for a little longer. Gill nodded his head, choosing his Typhlosion to battle against Victor's Dragonite.

The two Pokémon met at the center of the ring where one took to the air and the other stayed on the ground. Typhlosion sent out a breath of fire from his mouth before letting out an angry growl. Dragonite did not seem even the slightest bit intimidated as he remained in the air, flying around in circles.

Typhlosion took this opportunity to fire a breath of Flamethrower. The stream of fire went to the sky, but Dragonite quickly flew out of the way of the attack. Typhlosion did not like that one bit and soon he began to fire breath after breath of Flamethrower. Every fiery stream would make it to the air only to have Dragonite avoid every single attack. Dragonite flew away from all of the fire, flying higher into the air to keep himself from getting burned even the slightest.

Feeling annoyed by this, Gill had Typhlosion use Fire Blast to fix this mess. Typhlosion sent out the fiery inferno from his mouth with both Trainer and Pokémon hoping that it would do something against the dragon. As the attack got closer though, Dragonite flew forward to take the attack head on. But when Fire Blast was nearly there, Dragonite used Protect to avoid taking any damage by conjuring a green shield around himself. Protect did exactly as implied, the attack protected Dragonite from sustaining any injury from Fire Blast.

With that done, Dragonite flew at full speed straight towards Typhlosion. A band of water slowly began to circle around Dragonite's tail as he used Aqua Tail. Now that the water was completely around his tail, Dragonite swung his body around using the gravity to give his tail strength as he smashed it against Typhlosion. The water erupted from his tail in the process with the weight being used to crush Typhlosion, effortlessly blowing the Fire-type away.

Typhlosion fell to the ground, defeated by the Johto Champion.

Gill recalled his beaten Pokémon and sighed as he tried to think of a new strategy. Before Gill could use his own Dragonite, Victor recalled his Pokémon to shake things up. Victor wasted no time in sending out his Houndoom to the field. Gill chose to send his Umbreon out, knowing damn well that Umbreon wouldn't be much good against Victor's other Pokémon.

Umbreon returned to the battlefield with a fellow Dark-type growling at him. Houndoom smashed his paw into the ground with flames and smoke coming from his mouth. Umbreon did not cower as he looked at his opponent for a moment to analyze him. Not wasting a breath, Umbreon took charge at the drop of the hat, using Quick Attack to pick up speed. Houndoom took the attack without any hesitation before using Fire Fang to take a bite from Umbreon.

The fiery teeth burned against Umbreon's fur, making the Moonlight Pokémon cry out with pain before being thrown aside. Umbreon crashed to the ground and barely had strength to push himself to his feet after taking a full attack like that. Gill had his Pokémon use Swift to throw Houndoom off of his guard by the shooting stars. With that done, Gill had Umbreon use Moonlight to heal himself from the damage taken. The yellow rings on Umbreon's body began to glow as regained his lost health.

Umbreon was ready to fight Houndoom once again. Houndoom then spat out flames from his mouth before charging straight towards his opponent. Gill and Umbreon took advantage of this by using Dig to spring their trap. Umbreon quickly buried his way underground to avoid getting hit by the incoming Houndoom.

Victor had called for his Pokémon to stop, but Houndoom didn't hear the command in time. Houndoom tried to burn Umbreon out from the tunnel only for it to fail. The flames didn't have enough time to go anywhere as Umbreon sprang up from Houndoom's side and bashed directly against him. Houndoom howled with pain as he flew across the ring with Umbreon going all out on him.

Umbreon swung his body around to smash his hind legs against Houndoom's torso. This did even more damage, knocking out all of the air from Houndoom's lungs. Houndoom crashed to the ground and managed to take some needed breaths, but had lost all the strength to fight. Houndoom dropped his body to the ground to take a well-deserved rest. Victor sent out Dragonite to return to the battlefield.

Gill recalled Umbreon as well, knowing damn-well that he wouldn't be much help for Dragonite. Speed would be Gill's friend for this round so he chose to send Pidgeot next to do battle. Gill wasn't quite ready to use his Dragonite yet since he still felt that he needed to weaken his father's Dragonite a little more. So his Flying Pokémon took to the air where he soon found himself being chased by a dragon.

Dragonite and Pidgeot raced across the air with Pidgeot leading the pack. They circled around the entire arena before going higher up into the air until the human eye could catch them. Then they came back down at remarkable speed with Dragonite attempting to latch onto Pidgeot. Gill's Pokémon kept the dragon back by using Gust to push him away. The added wind was enough to put a slight bent into Dragonite's wings, keeping him from catching him right away.

Pidgeot rotated around to strike Dragonite from behind with his sharp beak. He cut into Dragonite's side, doing a nice bit of damage to the Dragon-type. Dragonite did not like that at all as he then took the liberty to snatch Pidgeot up before he could escape. A small, storm cloud gathered above them as Dragonite used Thunder to attack them both. Dragonite suffered a bit of damage, but the worst of it was channeled towards Pidgeot who cried out in pain before Dragonite released Pidgeot where he crashed to the ground, no longer able to battle.

The young Champion took notice to how Dragonite's wing still looked a bit bent and it was obvious that he had taken a bit of damage from using Thunder so close. Gill took out his Pokéball, sending out his Dragonite to enter the fray. Now was the perfect time to strike with everything he had. He couldn't allow his father's Pokémon to best him now that he was so close to winning. Plus, his father's strongest Pokémon was waiting in the wings to drown Gill's hopes of winning.

With his Dragonite on the field, the crowd was silent as they prepared to witness a battle between dragons. Lance watched with a great deal of interest, knowing damn well that this would be very interesting to see.

Victor's Dragonite went straight towards Gill's Dragonite, but was moving slower thanks to the injured wing. Gill hid the urge to smirk as he called for his Dragonite to fire with an Ice Beam. Gill's Dragonite quickly fired the freezing beam of ice from her mouth that went straight towards Victor's Pokémon. Ice Beam narrowly missed hitting Victor's Dragonite with full strength, but part of his good wing wasn't spared. A bit of the ice managed to hit his wing, causing his speed to drop as the chill made Dragonite weaker.

Gill held back his urge to celebrate since the battle was still far from over. He had his Dragonite take flight, which she did with her opponent doing his very best to chase after her. Victor's Dragonite tried to stop her by using Thunder to shoot her down from the sky. Gill's Dragonite managed to avoid the worst of the Thunder but still had her back shot by part of it. She lost her flight balance for a moment, causing her to slow down a bit.

The enemy Dragonite started to fly faster, catching up to her. The two Dragonite kept going higher until neither one couldn't ascend any further. They broke apart mid-air, flying away from one another before catching up to each other near the middle of the arena. Victor's Dragonite quickly spat out a Hyper Beam with all the power that he had in him. Gill's Dragonite chose to use Ice Beam, instead of Hyper Beam, since they both felt it was the wiser choice.

The two attacks crossed at the center, building up power as they rippled against one another. The raw power of Hyper Beam soon shattered the Ice Beam apart, but both Champions were unaware of the ripple effects of this. The frozen beam was shattered yet the jagged bits of ice scattered as the Hyper Beam exploded in a wave of energy. The whiplash of the two attacks caused both dragons to come crashing down from the sky with a very, rough landing forcing both of them to stay down.

Confused, dizzy, and exhausted; the two Dragonite were down for the count.

As this round came to a close, Gill knew that this would be his real test. He sent Umbreon out to the battlefield just as Victor released his final and strongest Pokémon. Blastoise emerged from the Pokéball, standing his ground as the two cannons came out from his shell. The blue-skinned Pokémon flexed his colossal body a bit before smashing his foot to the ground. Umbreon cowered for a moment, along with Gill.

"Now will be the moment of truth," said Victor. "It has been fun battling you today, Gill. I never imagined that you could grow so strong, but I'm afraid that this is where it will all end."

"I won't go down so easily, dad!" shouted Gill. "Umbreon, use Shadow Ball."

Victor smirked as left his hands to the side and told Blastoise to use Water Gun. The cannons started to tilt forward just as Umbreon released the ball of shadowy energy. As the violet sphere came at him, Blastoise fired the torrent of water from his cannons. Despite being such a weak, Water-type attack, Water Gun easily broke through the Shadow Ball and shot Umbreon down with a single hit.

Umbreon was pushed towards the very edge of the arena before the water died out. Umbreon stumbled around the edge for a moment before completely collapsing to the ground. The Moonlight Pokémon was completely exhausted as he closed his red eyes, submitting to his opponent.

Gill called Umbreon back before thinking about what to do next. He only had two Pokémon left that he could battle with, one that would have a very good advantage against Blastoise. He stared at his father and his father's Pokémon before taking out a Pokéball. He flung it forward to release Poliwrath who had enough strength for one more fight. Gill hoped that he would buy himself enough time to give him a chance to win.

Poliwrath and Blastoise started things off by using Water Gun against each other. They shot the water at each other with Poliwrath dancing out of the way while Blastoise hid within his own shell to keep himself from taking damage. The water began to drown the entire ring until even Gill and Victor's shoes were soaked a bit.

Blastoise shot out Hydro Pump with Victor's command. Both cannons were turned on Poliwrath with a blast of water rocketing out from them. Hydro Pump tore part of the ring apart as it headed straight for Poliwrath. Gill's Pokémon, at the last possible second, jumped into the air to avoid getting hit with Hydro Pump. Poliwrath took a very deep breath after Gill told him to use Scald to leave a burn on Blastoise.

The boiling water crashed against Blastoise's shell, making it very hot for the Shellfish Pokémon. Poliwrath landed on the ground and took off running towards Blastoise, his fist glowing as he prepared to use Dynamic Punch. Blastoise pretended to be vulnerable to get his opponent close, waiting for Victor's command. Once he was in range, Victor nodded his head before telling Blastoise to use Hydro Cannon.

Blastoise pointed his cannons at the incoming Poliwrath. Two orbs of water took form before Blastoise decided it was time to pull the trigger. A powerful blast of water came to life as Blastoise used his ultimate move against Poliwrath, head on. Poliwrath didn't stand a chance as he was easily overwhelmed by the orbs of water that had the power of a tidal wave. He was pushed all the way back towards Gill before crashing with a cloud of dust rising up around him in the process.

Poliwrath was left on the ground, unable to battle, and left Gill with one hope to defeat his father.

Gill looked at his final Pokéball and sighed as it came down to this. He only had one chance to defeat his father and become Johto Champion. Gill knew that it would be nearly impossible, considering how powerful Blastoise was and how skilled of a Trainer that his father was. Gill shook his head, refusing to allow such dreary thoughts to attack him.

Gill refused to surrender. Gill's journey across Johto was leading up to this moment. Gill knew he had what it took to defeat his father.

Releasing his final Pokémon, Gill sent out Pikachu to take on his father's Blastoise. The Shellfish Pokémon stood like a tower over the Mouse Pokémon. Gill and his father did not budge at all with their Pokémon geared up to do battle. Blastoise and Pikachu were glaring at one another as they waited until their Trainers gave out the final commands.

The crowd fell to silence as everyone watched the final battle. The Champions watched with great interest now as they wondered just how Gill would attempt to win with a Pikachu. Molly was holding her breath, while Kent was cheering both his father and brother on. Lyra and Brendon stayed completely silent as Silver waited until Gill won this match.

"You made it this far that's impressive enough," said Victor. "I still think you should quit while you're ahead, son. I don't want to crush your Trainer spirit."

"Don't worry, dad," said Gill, "I won't be crushed when I beat you!"

Victor didn't fight to hide the smile that graced his face. He simply had his Blastoise spring into action against his son's Pikachu. Blastoise tried to end his son quickly by using Hydro Pump since Blastoise recovered from using Hydro Cannon. Had Gill struck while Blastoise was still vulnerable then it was possible for him to turn the tables to his favor. Gill didn't exploit that opening so Victor would punish his son for not being a wiser Trainer.

The heavy torrent of water went rushing straight towards Pikachu. Gill had his Pokémon use Agility to heighten his speed enough to avoid getting attacked. Pikachu did a flip into the air with electricity sparkling out from his cheeks. Pikachu fired a Thundershock from his cheeks which raced through the water before sparking against Blastoise. The attack left a good shock, but Blastoise withstood the attack easily enough.

Pikachu took a dive to the ground and started to run through the wet ring to get to his opponent. Blastoise was ready for Pikachu, however, as he fired off a blast of water from his cannons. The water ripped through the ground, forcing Pikachu to take evasive action to get out of the way. Victor made sure that Blastoise maintained his focus in order to win this battle against his son.

Blastoise had his water on full blast, spraying it everywhere. Gill had Pikachu move as quickly as he could, using every bit of speed that Pikachu had in him. Victor and Blastoise got smart, however, and really turned up the heat on this one. Blastoise charged his next attack up at full blast to use Hydro Cannon against his opponent to finish him off with one blast.

Hydro Cannon ripped the ground apart and easily left a mess of everything. A cloud of dust rose up to blanket the entire arena, leaving Gill in a state of shock as he believed that he had lost. It took everything that Gill had not to drop as he waited to hear from Lance that his father had won the match. Gill was waiting to hear those fatal words as the smoke finally started to clear out, leaving everyone in surprise.

Somehow, Pikachu had avoided getting hit by Hydro Cannon and took advantage of the smoke cloud to sneak up on Blastoise. Pikachu now had himself hanging on Blastoise's head with electricity beginning to spark out from those cheeks of his. Gill's eyes lit up as he realized that this was the best opportunity he'd ever get to win. Blastoise could barely move to shrug Pikachu off since Hydro Cannon left him vulnerable to an attack.

Victor knew that this was the moment that he knew would come someday, he just didn't expect it to be today.

Gill took a deep breath as images from all his previous battles started to flash across his mind. All his battles against Silver, the Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, Lance, and everyone else had been leading up to this moment. They were all just practice for this battle, the battle where he'd finally prove to his father that he was as good of a Trainer as he was. No, Gill had the opportunity to prove that he could be better, he could step out from the shadow of his father.

"Pikachu," Gill shouted at the top of his lungs, "use Thunder!"

Pikachu had no mercy as he called forth the strongest Thunder he could muster up. The bolts of lightning that escaped from the Mouse Pokémon zapped Blastoise with full power. All the water that had been soaked into the field served as a conductor for Pikachu's electricity, amplifying the attack power of the Electric-type. The attack exploited all of Blastoise's vulnerabilities, taking his enemy down with a single attack.

Blastoise completely dropped down to the ground with Pikachu still hanging onto him. The attack was over though and Pikachu pulled himself up, a smile gracing his face. Pikachu jumped off of Blastoise then threw his fist up into the air as he celebrated his victory.

The last of his Pokémon defeated, Victor bowed out to gracefully surrender to the new Champion of Johto.

"The battle is over!" shouted Lance. "A new Champion is crowned!"

The entire arena erupted with loud applause and cheers as a new Champion was born. The boy barely managed to defeat his father, but a win was a win. Gill had won against his father and won the respect of the people of Johto. Not only did he win respect, but something erupted within Gill as he was now the undisputed Champion of Johto.

"It's done!" shouted the announcer. "It's all over. Johto has a new Champion. Victor Hart has been defeated by his own son, Gill Hart is our Champion! Congratulations Gill!"

Nothing could describe the feeling that Gill had as he looked at his father who simply nodded his head. Both father and son were left speechless as a moment that they never thought would happen just come to pass. Victor was proud of his son and Gill felt happy to know that he earned his father's respect.

"Good job, son," Victor said, smiling at his son.

Gill smiled as he allowed himself to be overwhelmed by the cheers of the crowd now that he was the new Champion of Johto.

But now that the battle was over, things were about to take a big change.

Red watched the results of the battle and was greatly surprised by the outcome. The Kanto Champion kept to himself while everyone else was celebrating the coming of a new Champion. Red hadn't expected Gill to win, he thought that Victor had this in the bag, but it seemed that even he could be wrong. The Savior of Kanto, the Vanquisher of Team Rocket, was proven wrong by a child.

And as Red lost himself in a train of thought, the Kanto Champion was unaware of a familiar set of eyes watching him. Blue started to make his way towards his old rival and stood there waiting for Red to acknowledge his presence. That took but a moment as Red felt a pair of eyes watching him now, turning around to find Blue right there.

"It's been a long time, Blue," said Red. "I haven't seen you in two years."

"And who is to blame for that?" laughed Blue. "You're the one who never returns calls. I ought to kick your ass, but you're lucky I enjoy your company so much."

Red didn't bother to hide the smirk that graced his lips. Right now, he was more focused on the new Champion of Johto. The boy was a thing of interest to him now, a challenge that needed to be dealt with before it was too late.

The Kanto Champion turned away and walked over to his oldest friend. Red leaned closer towards Blue until his lips were inches away from Blue's ear. "I need you to do me a favor, Blue," said Red. "There will come a time when Gill will come looking for me next. He will want to battle me just as badly as I want to battle him now. He isn't ready though, neither am I. The both of us have a lot of training to do."

"Now what am I supposed to do?" asked Blue. "How do I fit into all of this?"

"Battle him," said Red. "If he wins then he'll be ready to fight me. If that happens then tell Gill where to find me. I will be at the usual spot."

A smile started to form on Blue's face as he finally saw himself having a challenge. Red might be out of his league now, but now he had even more of a reason to fight against Gill. "It's a done deal then," said Blue. "Now, give us a kiss before you go off into seclusion again." That last bit was said with plenty of sarcasm just to make fun of Red.

Red just laughed at his friend before punching him in the shoulder to say his farewell.

Blue waved his friend off, watching as Red made the journey to Mt. Silver.


	27. Chapter 26

**Author's Note: **Well, here is the new chapter. You'll be getting a lot of random nonsense with this one and a lemon. Sorry it seems a bit rushed. I honestly kind of had a brain fart while writing this so this is just me going crazy with it towards the end. Don't worry, the other chapters will be more organized then this one was. Hope you at least like the lemon. Read and review.**  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Six:**

Months have passed since Gill was crowned Champion of Johto and during that time Gill was constantly ambushed with attention. The press ate Gill up like it was nobody's business as they crossed the region for every bit of information that they could find on the youngest Pokémon Champion in history. He had stolen that title from Lance and Red who were both seventeen at the time of becoming Champions of Kanto. Everyone in Johto was curious into hearing about Gill Hart, the son of a Champion who defeated his own father in battle.

This bit of time had changed Gill, clearing out that void he felt from before. He no longer felt the need to battle against anyone, in fact, Gill felt the urge to travel and explore what the world had to offer. As Champion, he had plenty of liberty to explore whatever it was that he so desired. Now that Victor was the ruling Champion of the Indigo Plateau, Gill could damn near do whatever it was that he wanted.

So now Gill had the opportunity to explore outside of the Johto Region. In his hands was a ticket to the famous S.S. Aqua that crossed the ocean to connect Johto with Kanto. Gill's journey to Kanto was purely for exploration and fun. The press tried to say that Gill was going to Johto to battle the Gym Leaders then face the Kanto Champion to steal his title as well. It was a bit cruel that they made Gill seem like some power-hungry kid, but he knew there was no point in trying to fight everyone.

People would think what they wanted to think, nothing would change that.

Gill sat at a bench over by the port in Olivine City. His family was there, waiting for the boat to start allowing passengers inside so that they could say their farewells to the young man. Victor and Molly were making sure that everything was fine, while their other children waited with Gill.

This was the journey that Gill had been waiting for weeks to go on. As the sun started to rise, so was Gill's moment to spread his wings and fly. That sounded super cheesy, but Gill really did feel the need to go out on this new journey. He needed something to take his mind off of things.

Kent was sleeping on Gill's lap with his little face buried against his brother's chest. The baby was dressed up in his shorts and Pikachu t-shirt as he sucked on his thumb. Gill constantly had to push the thumb out of his brother's mouth, only for Kent to put it back. Lyra laughed a little and told Gill that it looked like Kent might be gay. Gill rolled his eyes, shrugging off the gay joke as he kissed his brother's forehead.

The horn on the boat went off, signaling that it was time for everyone to get aboard.

Gill started to smile as he pulled himself up and handed their brother over to Lyra. Kent started to wake up just as Lyra carried the heavy boy in her arms. Molly and Victor returned just in time to so that they could send Gill off at once.

"Goodbye son," said Victor.

"Take care of yourself," Molly said, hugging her boy.

"Don't get yourself killed," laughed Lyra.

"Bye Gillie," whispered Kent.

Gill said his goodbyes to everyone as he grabbed his bag and started to make his way to the boat. The bright, white paintjob was a bit blinding but the aqua-colored stripes that ran around the boat proved to be a nice distraction. The horn continued to go off as Gill kept climbing up the steps and made his way to the edge.

The young Champion waited there, waving his family off as the boat started to make the journey to Kanto, to Vermilion City.

* * *

Making his way below deck, Gill found the buffet line that was making his stomach rumble in every way possible. The boy took off running and grabbed the nearest plate before attacking the food that was spread out around them. He gathered all the food that he wanted then made his way to an empty table only to find that they were all taken up by the rest of the guests.

Gill sighed in slight frustration as he turned to find a nearly empty table instead. He found one that had only one other person sitting there only to find a familiar shade of red hair sitting there. Gill's eyes lit up as he saw Silver at the table with a small bag at his feet and his eyes shifting around to keep an eye out for something. Gill somehow had the feeling that Silver had snuck onboard the ship, which would explain the shifty look.

"I can't believe you're here."

Silver actually seemed surprised to see that it was Gill who snuck up on him. He initially got ready to run for it when he realized that it was the young Champion. Silver quickly calmed himself down as he finished the last of his bacon, clearing his plate off in only a few minutes.

"Why am I not surprised to see you?" asked Silver. The red head started to lean back against his chair as Gill sat down to join him. Gill briefly took notice of Silver's new outfit: a black v-neck with the sleeves cut off, tight gray pants, and a small necklace dangling around his neck. Silver glanced at what Gill wore as well; he looked closely at the thin, violet t-shirt and the skinny blue jeans that covered the boy. "Of course the Champion would want to travel in class." Silver said that last bit with a cocky smile on his face.

Gill just shook his head as he placed a strawberry in his mouth with a smile forming on the face of his. "What are you doing here?" Gill asked, between bites. "You going to Kanto to battle the Gym Leaders there?"

"I honestly have no idea what I'm doing," Silver said, honestly. "The past year hasn't been as kind to me as it has been to you. While you were busy being crowned Champion…I." Silver paused for a moment, which made Gill very curious as to why. The red head shook his head then, forcing himself to speak to Gill. "I tried to track my father down. He was last spotted in Kanto about two years ago, but I can't even guarantee that it was really him."

"So you're trying to find your father?" asked Gill. "Why though? I thought you hated him."

"I do," said Silver, "but he's still my father. There are some issues that I need to deal with, I'm sure you'd be able to understand that. You had to take your father's title away from him to prove yourself to be strong."

"It wasn't as cynical as you're making it sound," Gill said, defending his actions.

Silver nodded his head so that Gill wouldn't try to tare his head off. The red head watched as Gill calmed himself down and even gave him time to finish his breakfast before trying to speak again. "What are you going to do at Kanto?" asked Silver. "You going to fight the Gym Leaders like the tabloids say?"

"No," Gill said, laughing a bit. "I just want to travel, to explore the world. I figure that Kanto is a good place to start."

"Sounds lonely," said Silver. "You won't be near your family at all."

"I know," Gill confessed, "but I don't think it won't be that bad. I'll run into you a lot, I'm sure. I won't be totally alone."

There was a pause that made Gill freeze up as he took notice to the look on Silver's face. Silver started to bite down on his bottom lip, which made Gill brace himself for the worst blow possible when Silver gave him a big surprise. Crossing the table, Silver leaned over so that his face was only inches away from the young Champion.

"You don't have to be alone at all," said Silver. "I could join you."

And with that done, Gill suddenly felt very confident about this new journey that he was beginning.

* * *

By noon, Gill sauntered into his suite with Silver following behind him. Silver was the one who slammed the door shut and quickly locked it up so that no one would disturb them. The lights were completely off but the curtains were slightly drawn so that some light would come in. The smell of the salt water pierced through the walls and cracks along the window, which made Gill fall back to his bed.

Silver dropped their bags, leaving them forgotten on the ground as he climbed on top of Gill on the bed. Neither one paid much attention to the oceanic design of the room; they only cared about getting into each other's pants.

Silver pressed his lips against Gill as he hovered on top of the boy. Gill then wrapped his arms and legs around Silver to pull the red headed boy closer to him. Correction, Silver was eighteen now, he was technically a man while Gill was still just a boy. That was oddly a turn-on for Gill as his pants started to get all the tighter on him as he pushed himself up against Silver.

The anticipation for sex tasted sweet on the tip of Silver's tongue. The red headed youth rolled them around on the bed so that he now had Gill on top of him. Gill kept his lips against Silver while his limbs were wrapped around him. He refused to let go of Silver for even a second until Silver decided to squeeze his hands into the boy's pants, bypassing the briefs. One of Silver's fingers slowly began to tease the Gill's hole, making the black haired boy's body tense up as shivers of excitement coursed throughout him.

Gill started to bite down on his lip as Silver attempted to push his way inside of him. This made all the clothes that Gill had on become terribly uncomfortable for him. He was burning to get out of them now, which he did as he bit down on Silver's bottom lip to force him to be released. Gill wasted no time then taking off his own clothes. He shrugged off the shirt, the sneakers, the jeans, and the briefs in like no-time flat.

Silver was feeling equally excited as he took sight of the naked Gill who was sitting on his lap. Gill leaned close to Silver, keeping his naked body as close to the red head as possible. Silver had his hands on the boy's hips as his tongue explored the wet caverns of Gill's mouth. Silver did this all while Gill rocked himself back and forth on Silver's lap, getting the red head very excited by this movement.

It finally got to the point where Silver just couldn't take it anymore. Silver resumed control of the situation by keeping a firm hold on Gill's waist as he spun them both around so that he was back on top. Silver then stripped off the shirt he wore and carelessly tossed it to the ground before diving down on Gill. He threw himself around towards Gill's waist then lifted the boy's legs up into the air so that only Gill's puckered entrance was at his face. Silver then started to lap at the tight hole, making Gill shiver with excitement as Silver touched a very private spot on his body.

Gill slowly started to leak as Silver's tongue worked its magic. The boy started to stroke himself while Silver continued to take him, making the boy's toes curl as Silver held his legs up.

This went on for a few more moments until Silver felt that the boy was prepared enough. The front of Silver's jeans were stained with his pre-cum after rubbing himself against the bed sheets while listening to Gill's moans and tasting the boy's ass. Silver had so much lust ready to explode by then that he barely managed to get his jeans and boxers off his thighs. He barely pushed those bit of clothing off before lining up his hard erection to plunge inside of Gill.

The second that the head of Silver's penis made it in, Gill's entire body shuddered as he felt Silver inside of him. Gill couldn't contain himself as Silver continued to ease his way inside of Gill until the full length was in. Gill was withering around underneath Silver's muscular body with soft curses escaping his pouty lips. Those pouty lips made Silver's desire for the boy grow stronger as he leaned closer, claiming those lips just as he claimed Gills ass.

Rocking his hip forward, Silver pushed himself inside of Gill until his red pubic hair rubbed against him. Silver's speed slowly started to pick up as he continued to rock his hips back and forth, plunging deeper inside of Gill. It took every bit of self-control that Gill had not to scream at the top of his lungs, alerting everyone on board the ship. Gill just kept himself as silent as possible, while losing himself to the ecstasy provided to him by Silver.

With the ship being rocked by the ocean, Gill couldn't describe the feeling he had. The minute that Silver's cock touched his prostate, it was all over for Gill. The boy stroked himself harder and faster, while Silver pulverized his insides with his lust burning out of control. Both of the boys were completely lost as their bodies slowly began to glisten with sweat.

Silver pulled Gill up, while the boy continued to stroke himself so that Gill would ride him. Gill would bounce himself on Silver with one hand around the red head's neck and the other hand wrapped around his penis. Silver had his hands on the boy's hips as he pushed his own hips back and forth with the movement timed perfectly with Gill.

They were both moaning and groaning so hard that neither one knew who reached their climax first. All they knew was that Gill's cum exploded between their bodies while Silver let loose inside of Gill. The blinding stars that popped into their heads kept them oblivious to the real world as their climax took complete control of them.

Now that their sexual desires had been taken care of, Gill and Silver found themselves at greater ease.

They completely collapsed on top of the mattress with Silver still buried inside of Gill. The boy was laid out on his back and Silver remained on top of him. They were both painting like crazy as their cum was slowly drying and the sweat was running off. Silver's flaccid penis slowly plopped out Gill with the rest of his sperm leaking out onto the sheets.

Although, neither one seemed to care as they laid their beside each other. Gill and Silver managed to motivate themselves enough to remove the rest of the red head's clothing before completely surrendering to the mattress. The bed was practically screaming at them to close their eyes as the waves continued to crash against the boat.

"That was…amazing," Gill said, still breathing hard.

Silver nodded his head in full agreement with Gill. The red head turned to the side a little so that he could see the way Gill's soft chest would expand and contract. Actual muscle had started to develop on Gill's chest as he actually made his way to adulthood. Even the light bush of dark pubic hairs had grown a little more, a bit more so then when Silver last remembered seeing Gill so naked. Silver took notice to the bits of hair growing around Gill's belly button and armpits as well. It was actually kind of cute; it made him feel a bit less like a creep for violating a boy since Gill actually started to grow some body hair on him.

Silver, in all honesty, didn't really give a damn though as he leaned towards Gill to push his tongue into his mouth. Gill submitted to the needy kiss as he ran his own tongue against Silver's wet muscle. The two, sweaty boys drew closer to one another, their bodies recovering from sex as their dicks quickly grew back to full mass.

It wouldn't hurt too much to fuck one, or two, more times.

At least, it wouldn't hurt Silver; Gill might end up walking with a limp afterwards.

* * *

The flash of the camera blinded Silver for only a second as they took their first steps into Vermilion City. Gill chuckled slightly, while Silver was ready to hit Gill for that one. The boy ended up getting pulled up into the air by Silver once the red head caught the boy by the waist. Silver hoisted Gill up for a few moments as he dragged him off the port in Vermilion City so that they could start their journey together.

Vermilion City was a lovely port city in the middle of Kanto. It was even more beautiful then Olivine City over in Johto. The city folk kept this city especially clean since they feared that too much pollution could lead to a Grimer infestation. The last, big infestation that they had nearly gotten the city torn apart by the Grimer.

So the boys set off to see all of the sights in the city and wandered around aimlessly that day.

A few people recognized Gill in the process as they made their way through the city, an even smaller few decided to hassle Gill a bit. Most just wanted an autograph, but some tried to challenge him to a Pokémon battle. Silver tried to push these kids away, but Gill humored them well enough. All the Champion had to do was release his Typhlosion and most of them would run off screaming, deciding not to mess with the Champion.

The entire day was spent exploring nearly everything that the city had to offer. The visited the office of the Pokémon Fan Club's Kanto branch, they looked around the Diglet Cave for a few hours, and they even had plenty of time to go fishing by the port. They mostly caught a Magikarp, which they quickly threw back out into the water. Gill did manage to catch himself a Krabby though that he thought was pretty impressive.

It was evening by the time that the boys chose to settle down and get some real food to eat. Since Gill was the Johto Champion people usually gave him free meals at their restaurant, but the paycheck he also got from the Pokémon League wasn't that bad either. Money wouldn't be a problem for this journey so that meant they'd be able to eat when they wanted and sleep comfortably. There would be no worries of trying to save every last penny and having to turn to prostitution as a means of support.

Since they were in Vermilion City, it was only appropriate for them to eat a seafood restaurant.

The Trainers managed to hit up the locals of the city and got directions to one of the best local restaurants in town.

Once they were all settled down, Gill and Silver found themselves staring at mountains of fresh and fried seafood. All of it just looked so good that neither one knew just where to begin. So they did the logical thing to do, they attacked everything on the table. They even tried the crazier items like the Magikarp Stew and Fried Corphish. Those two were a little more out there, but the food was tasty to say the least.

After attacking all of that food, they were both able to let out deep sighs. Gill wouldn't dare to eat another bite even if he could, while Silver knew he'd have to do a lot of exercise to rid himself of these extra calories. Silver wasn't a health junky, but he didn't want to be a fatty either.

"Check please!" Gill groaned, his stomach hurting from fullness. "Oh my goodness…I haven't ate that well in a long time. My mom's cooking fails in comparison to that."

"Just don't tell her that," laughed Silver. "She might try to kill you or something."

Gill nodded his head in agreement as he finally got the check. He picked his head up and was going to take the checkbook when he saw that the man standing there wasn't their waiter. Both Trainers gulped when they saw this physically, frightening man with pale skin and spiky, blond hair.

The man was decked out in a military style outfit that made him look like a drill sergeant. He had on a tight-fitting green muscle shirt with camouflage pants and thick brown boots. The man eyed Gill and Silver, carefully, before settling his attentions back onto Gill.

"So you're the Champion," said the man. "I heard that the Johto Champion was in my restaurant, but I usually don't believe in gossip. It's nice to meet ya, tyke. I saw your battle against your father, you're a rather impressive Trainer."

"Thank you, sir," Gill said, fumbling at that last part. "And…um…who are you?"

The man started to laugh as he continued to hold Gill's check in his hands. Silver wasn't too fond of this guy already, he was a bit of a jerk. "I'm Lieutenant Surge, the Gym Leader of Vermilion City," said the lieutenant. "I also happen to own this restaurant as a little side business. My specialty is with Electric-type Pokémon because they'll really put a shock into your system."

"So there are rumors going around that you're here to fight the Kanto Gym Leaders," said Lt. Surge, "is that true, Champion?"

"Not at all," said Gill. "I'm just here to travel with my friend Silver."

Lt. Surge looked at the other boy, taking notice to the vicious glare coming from the red head. The Gym Leader knew that something more was going on, but it was none of his business to pry. "What a pity," said Lt. Surge. "I'd like to whop your Champion ass, but oh well. Don't worry about the dinner, boys, it's on the house. Enjoy the rest of your night. And since you're up for exploring, I'd recommend going to Saffron City next."

The Gym Leader tore the check in half then wished the boys a goodnight once more before returning to manage his restaurant.

Gill and Silver felt that was a bit odd, but said nothing as they left to find a room for the night.

* * *

Within three days, the boys traveled from Vermilion City to Saffron City just as Lt. Surge had suggested. The walk took less than a day, which was great so they made it to the city in nearly no time. Saffron City was vastly different when compared to Vermillion City. For starters, the city was surrounded by trees instead of water. Saffron City was also a massive city that served as the main headquarters for Silph Co. and also served as a station for the Magnet Train that connected Johto and Kanto.

The city looked quite lovely, making it worth the walk, at least to Gill.

Silver wasn't too thrilled by the city as he followed Gill blindly along the road. They decided to pay a visit to Silph Co. since they were having troubles with their Pokégears. They were also a bit hungry so it would probably be a good idea to pay a visit to someplace that sold food. So with that in mind, the boys took off running to grab some food.

A hot dog stand wasn't too far away so that was perfect for the boys. Silver and Gill quickly inhaled their food down before resuming their long walk to Silph Co. Even from where they were, they could easily see the massive tower that was parked in the distance. It was a colossal tower that was probably about the size of the Radio Tower back in Johto.

Gill let out a whistle, showing off how impressed he was by it.

They kept on going until they finally made it inside of the tower. The problem was that there were police scattered all over the tower with crime scene tape covering the place. Gill and Silver looked at each other for a moment before focusing back on the place, wondering how they could even get inside if there were so any officers present.

"Damn those Rockets!" shouted one of the employees. "I thought Team Rocket had been cleared out by the Champions. They got away with the experimental program."

"I know," said another. "We just have to hope that the cops and Sabrina will be able to stop them."

Gill's curiosity got the better of him and he took off running to find out what happened. Silver had a feeling that this would get them into trouble so he quickly followed the boy. Gill's investigative side started to show as he tried to get answers from the employees.

Apparently, Team Rocket stragglers had broken inside the building to steal a program from the company. What this program did was kept a secret, but it was important enough to draw a great deal of interest from the Rockets. If it was something that Team Rocket then both Silver and Gill knew that this would end badly if something wasn't done quickly.

Bt as the boys tried to escape, a pair of hands stopped them from going any further. They turned back to see a young woman standing behind them. She was fairly pretty with long, grayish-blue hair that went past her back. She had on a pink spaghetti-strapped top that exposed her belly button and a pair of white pants. Her pink flats covered her feet while a pair of bulky, green bracelets were on her wrists.

"You're aren't going anywhere without me," said the young woman. "I already know that you're going to try and hunt Team Rocket. I have a bone to pick with them as well."

"And just who are you?" growled Silver.

"My name is Sabrina," said the young woman. "I am this city's Gym Leader. I specialize in Psychic-type Pokémon. I'm also a very powerful psychic, I already know who the both of you are, Gill Hart and Silver Sol."

Gill had his draw dropped a little as he eyed Sabrina with great care. She didn't seem like much, but he couldn't doubt that this woman seemed a bit psychic. "Oh, you're good," he said, surprised by her.

Sabrina didn't respond to Gill's comment as she kept her eyes on Silver. She turned away and started to make her way out of the building, telling them to follow her. Gill quickly went after her, but Silver paused for a moment before following. Silver didn't like this psychic, he wished that he didn't have to deal with her, but Gill was on hero mode so that would be impossible.

The Gym Leader led them through Saffron City with her psychic senses going bonkers. She used her abilities to follow the mental trail left behind by Team Rocket, in hopes of being able to track them down by this method. As they walked, Gill tried to get some information about the Gym Leader from her, but Sabrina quickly shot him down.

Silver really wasn't like Sabrina now.

After a few minutes of walking, Sabrina led them down an alleyway. She paused for a moment and took a deep breath before taking out a Pokéball from her pocket. Gill and Silver followed her lead as they took out a Pokéball of their own. The boys tried to see if there was anyone there when a pair of Weezing sprang out from nowhere.

A cloud of Smog started to go after them, but Gill responded quickly to this. He tossed his Pokéball where he released his Pidgeot so that he could use Gust to blow the Smog away. Pidgeot emerged and did just as his Trainer told him to. The heavy flapping of his wings easily blew all the Smog aside, revealing two men dressed up in Team Rocket uniforms.

Silver's issues with the Rockets started to get the best of him as he sent out his Kadabra. His Psychic-type was quickly told to use Psybeam to take the Weezing down. Kadabra held his spoon up, channeling his psychic energy which he released in a blast of psychic energy. One of the Weezing got shot down, but the other still remained and was about to use Self-Destruct to blow them up.

"Disable!" Sabrina shouted, tossing her Pokéball forward.

The Pokéball released an Alakazam from its confines. The fully-evolved form of the Abra evolution line stood proud and tall as he jumped in front of Silver's Kadabra. Alakazam held up both of his spoons to send out a bolt of psychic energy that kept the Weezing from exploding. Sabrina then had her Pokémon to use Psychic against the Weezing to beat it as well as to pull the Rocket Grunts out into the open.

The two Grunts were floating into the air, screaming at the top of their lungs just as the police sirens started to go off. Sabrina stood with her arms crossed as she shot nasty glares at the Grunts. "Hand it over," she said, strictly.

One of the Grunts continued to cry while the other tossed a disc at her. Sabrina caught it with minimal effort then ordered Alakazam to drop them. Her Pokémon did just that and soon the Grunts crashed to the cement ground.

"Thanks for the help," Sabrina said to Gill and Silver. She approached them both and quickly stuck something into Silver's hand before she took off. "I'll return this to the company, I'm sure you can keep these grunts tied down till the police arrive."

"Sure," Gill said, slowly as the Gym Leader disappeared. When he was certain that she was gone, Gill looked over to Silver who was glaring at the Grunts. "That was kind of random, wasn't it? Who would've thought that we'd met such a powerful Gym Leader. I'm guessing we're going to be going through a lot of random messes while in Kanto."

Silver only nodded his head before kicking a Grunt in the rib. Hearing the Grunt cry out in pain was great, but he soon remembered that Sabrina gave her something. He opened his hand to see that it was a piece of paper and that something was scribbled onto it. Silver looked closely and wondered when she found the time to write this down…unless she foresaw meeting the boys today.

The note only had two words on there, Mt. Moon.


	28. Chapter 27

**Author's Note: **Well, the story is almost over now. After this chapter there will only be five more until I am fully done with My Heart and Your Soul. I really hope that you've all been enjoying the story so far. I know the last update was a bit short and so is this one and the next one might not be much longer either, but I promise that there is a reason for this. It's more then me just being too lazy to come up with more things, I'm just trying to focus more on Gill and Silver's interactions with one another. The final four chapters, I promise, will be very lengthy. I have a lot of major things planned for those ones, especially since I have some major Silver and Legendary Pokemon storylines to tighten up before the epic showdown between Gill and Red. Eep...did I just give out too much of a hint for the last chapter? Oh well. Read and review.

**Chapter Twenty-Seven:**

With what would hopefully be their final encounter with Team Rocket over, Gill and Silver were able to enjoy the rest of their stay in Saffron City. They had their Pokégears adjusted to accept the Kanto frequency so that they would be fully functional. The Silph Co. took care of all of that as an act of gratitude for retrieving their stolen program.

The rest of the time that they spent in the city was rather relaxing. Gill and Silver were able to get a tour of the famous company that had once been taken over by Team Rocket. Silver wasn't thrilled to hear more of his father's crimes against humanity and Pokémon, but he listened nonetheless.

They cleared out of that place and explored the rest of Saffron City.

Gill took Silver inside the famous Pokémon Dojo that he heard about from the Karate Master he defeated back in Johto. Silver thought the place was a tad boring and uninteresting since it was pretty much empty. Only a few martial arts students remained to train to strengthen their minds, bodies, and Pokémon. Gill tried to convince Silver into taking some lessons with him, but Silver had to drag the young Champion out of there before he got himself dragged into a very dangerous situation.

Silver didn't like the idea of getting Gill dragged into a fight, even if it was only for practice. His nerves told him better so he got the Champion out of there before any fists started to fly. The only fists that were moving were Gill's as he tried to break free from the grip that Silver had on him.

"The answer is no," Silver told the boy.

Gill tried to convince Silver to reconsider, but Silver refused to listen again. Silver just grabbed the boy by his hand and started to drag him away from the dojo as quickly as they could. They even passed by the Gym where Sabrina would no doubt be inside, but Silver didn't want to get into it with the psychic. One experience with her was more then enough to sedate any curiosity that Silver had, especially since she left him such a cryptic message.

Silver knew he'd have to do some research on Mt. Moon later.

With all of their business done in the city, Gill decided that they should pay a visit to Lavender Town next. Silver asked why they would visit that ghost town, only to have his chest poked at by the dark haired Champion.

"We should pay our respects to all of the fallen Pokémon!" Gill said, sharply. "Now, let's hurry up, Silver. We don't want to waste too much time and have all the ghosts snatch us up when we get close to the town."

"Why do I have a feeling that you're going to try and pick a fight with a ghost?" said Silver.

"Silver, you know better that I don't pick fights with people," Gill said, snapping at him a little bit. "Trouble just always seems to find me, I've told you that a hundred times. You've seen this with your own eyes. How can you still not believe me?"

"Because nobody can be such a natural magnet for trouble!" said Silver.

"Well, I'm just very special," said Gill. "Now, stop talking smack about me and start doing some more walking!"

Silver could only roll his eyes at Gill as he followed the boy towards Route 8.

* * *

The small town was known as a ghost town not because of a small population, but because the Pokémon Cemetery being located there. Surrounding Lavender Town was the Rock Tunnel, a famous dark tunnel that served as a path between Lavender Town and Cerulean City. Further down south was Fuchsia City, home of the famous Safari Zone where Trainers could capture rare Pokémon at a price.

Today though, Gill was focusing on the Pokémon Cemetery there to visit all of the fallen Pokémon that were buried there.

As they made their way into town, Silver was the first to notice something off. The town was a lot more bustling then they had last heard and soon found that the building were the cemetery used to be had been replaced by a Radio Tower. Gill was disgusted to see this as he wandered into the once small town to see that new construction was going around everywhere. Soon this place would be a city, but that was still a longtime away.

"How could they do such a thing?" whispered Gill. "That's just defiling the graves of those poor Pokémon."

"I think it had to do with Team Rocket," said Silver. "A few years ago, they had attacked the cemetery, killing a lot of Trainers and Pokémon in the process. It was the Kanto Champion who drove them back, but not before a lot of innocent blood was spilled. I guess this is the town's way of trying to cleanse it."

"That doesn't make sense though," Gill said, softly. "They should be honoring them, not turning the town into a tourist attraction."

Silver couldn't disagree with the boy. He simply locked his arm over the boy's shoulder, pulling him closer against him. Gill sighed as he pressed his face against Silver's chest for a moment, avoiding the urge to be seriously disgusted by these people. Gill didn't want to stay in this town any longer then necessary, he wanted to be out of here before nightfall.

It took them nearly the entire day to get to Lavender Town, but Gill wasn't about to spend the night with these people.

"I'm sure they moved the graves somewhere else," whispered Silver. "Do you want to go see if we can find them before leaving?"

"Yeah," Gill said, nodding his head. "Let's do that."

Silver escorted Gill around the town until they found someone who could direct them to the cemetery. They walked closer to the Radio Tower before entering a small building where they saw numerous plaques hanging up on the walls. At least they hadn't moved the memorials too far from where they were originally buried. What little remains of the fallen Pokémon were buried towards the mountainous dirt of the Rock Tunnel while their plaques were hung up within this memorial.

A few people gathered into the three-story building, saying silent prayers to the deceased Pokémon. Gill took a few steps within the building and soon felt all of the remorse that these people felt for their fallen companions. No, they were more then just that, these Pokémon meant everything to these people. Had something ever happened to one of his Pokémon, Gill knew that he'd be just like them.

Gill placed a hand over his chest, feeling his heart pounding as he closed his eyes for a moment to say a silent prayer.

Silver didn't say or do anything as he stood beside Gill. He just waited there, silent, for Gill to make any kind of movement.

When he finished praying, Gill brushed a tear from his face as he felt the spiritual grief that these people had. During his journey, he had seen some awful things done to both people and Pokémon, he was grateful to know that not everyone was like that.

Gill turned back around and threw his arms around Silver, hugging him as tightly as he could. Silver had a smile on his face as he felt the boy trying to squeeze him. Silver placed his hands on Gill's waist and held him for a moment so that the boy could get this out of his system.

"We should get going," Gill whispered against Silver's chest. "I did what I had to do."

"Alright then," Silver said, continuing to hold Gill. "We'll leave right now. First though, I think we should get something to eat. We might have to end up camping out before we make it back to Saffron City."

"Let's go to Celadon City instead," said Gill. "There's a road that leads straight there from Route 8."

Silver told the Champion that they'd do whatever he wanted. He simply followed Gill's lead as they went to grab an early dinner before taking off from Lavender Town. Although, their stay there had been very brief, Silver felt like this town had done them both a bit of good.

* * *

Celadon City wasn't as amazing as Goldenrod City was. Where Goldenrod City was by the ocean so a great ocean breeze would was across the city and the beach was right there, Celadon City was only surrounded by trees. It wasn't as thrilling to Gill, but at least Celadon City had a major department store and the famous casino to go to.

And since Gill was at age and Champion, he had the privilege of being able to go inside of the casino to gamble.

First thing first though, Gill had to purchase an appropriate outfit for that event. So he dragged Silver into the city after having to spend the night camping on Route 7. They had fallen a sleep under the stars with all of their Pokémon surrounding them so it was a peaceful sleep to say the least.

Now, Gill had Silver trapped in the department store with him. They heard that Lance the Dragon Master would purchase his capes here so they figured that this place must be pretty good. If it was good enough for a former Champion then it should be good enough for Gill, at least in theory.

The boys took a ride on the escalator until they reached the men's clothing shop. Gill was forcing Silver into wearing something nice to the casino as well. Silver grumbled a little bit as he was being dragged around by Gill like a piece of meat. He was more then just eye-candy, he was a person too.

"Whatever," Gill said, joking with Silver. "You know you're only my sexy boy toy."

Silver rolled his eyes before grabbing Gill's ass with his full hand. Gill yelped a little bit, while Silver started to laugh at him. "You might want to correct yourself," said Silver. "If anyone is the boy toy here, it would be you, boy."

"Hush," Gill said, handing some clothes over to Silver to try on.

They spent an hour just trying to find appropriate clothes for them both to wear, but they eventually found something that they both could agree on. Gill bought a baby-blue dress shirt with khaki slacks, while Silver got a violet shirt and black slacks. They bought a pair of black dress shoes to complete their outfits for the casino. Silver also got a coat to throw over himself and Gill chose a black vest.

They would probably end up heading to the restrooms there to change later on since it was already getting late. They were planning on having dinner at the casino as well since it was known for having some pretty delicious food.

So with all of that taken care of, Gill started to drag Silver someplace to change when a three thugs blocked their way. Well, they weren't exactly thugs, just a bunch of little punks who thought they were thugs. They thought they were so badass in their baggy clothes with a few tattoos inked onto their skin. Silver eyed the young brats, knowing right away that they were hear to start some trouble with them.

"Lookie here," said one of the brats, "it's the Johto Champion. He even brought his boyfriend along to play dress up."

"How cute," laughed another.

"Let's steal the fag's crown," said the last of them.

Silver pushed Gill behind him as he snatched a Pokéball from his pocket. "I really think that's a bad idea," he said, angrily. "If you come anywhere near him then I'm afraid that I will have to kill you."

The thugs continued to laugh as they took out their Pokéballs then tossed them to release their Pokémon. Each one had a Machoke on their side. The muscular Pokémon would've been a threat had Silver not already have a Pokémon he could use to clean their act up.

"Feraligatr, make them regret ever come here!" shouted Silver. He released his large, Water Pokémon from his Pokéball, letting him get some department store air. Feraligatr let out a ferocious growl from his jaw, which seemed to intimidate the Machoke.

Feraligatr stomped his foot onto the ground of the store, making the entire floor shake for a moment. His imposing figure frightened even the Machoke and they soon started to take off running. Their Trainers called their Pokémon a bunch of cowards before charging after Silver's Pokémon on their own. That was a very dumb move. Silver had Feraligatr use Water Gun to send the thugs flying back.

They finally took the hint and started to run after their Pokémon, getting as far away from them as they possibly could.

"They were pretty dumb," Silver said, returning his Pokémon to the Pokéball.

Gill nodded his head as he locked hands with Silver. The boy had a bad smirk on his face as he started to drag Silver away before they got yelled at for battling inside the store. "Have I ever told you that you're my hero?" Gill laughed.

"No," Silver said, chuckling a little bit. "You could stand to say it a little more often. I do enjoy being worshipped like a hero."

"Well, if you continue saving my skin then you might get something special tonight," Gill said, dragging Silver into a restroom.

They would finally have some privacy to change before heading out to the casino.

And possibly a few minutes to have restroom sex, but that was only if nobody walked in on them.

Fortunately enough, nobody did walked in on them so they had time to enjoy themselves in a public venue.

* * *

Later on that night, after dinner, Silver and Gill finally made it into the main part of the casino. They entered the gambling space were people from all over Kanto and the other regions had gathered to blow all of their hard earned cash. Everyone seemed to be having a grand, old time too that Gill just had to join in on all the fun.

Gill clamed a nearby blackjack table and started to play with the others already there. Silver knew that this night could end very badly for Gill if he didn't play close attention to the boy. First things first though, Silver grabbed a drink from one of the servers and slammed it down to get himself a little buzz going. He would need to have a little bit of liquor in his system to keep himself from going completely crazy tonight.

Now, Silver just had to make sure that Gill never got a drop of liquor in his system, even though Gill was still not legal to drink. That wouldn't stop the people who had the ability to buy drinks and would buy one for the boy as well. Who wouldn't want to share a drink with a Pokémon League Champion? It wasn't everyday that you got to gamble, drink, and party with a Champion, after all.

The night started out fairly uneventful and calm.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, especially Gill who was over at a poker table now. The boy had already won five hundred dollars and was shooting to make a thousand by the end of the night. Silver was just hoping that Gill didn't blow all of the money that they had for their Kanto journey at this casino. That would be very bad, especially since neither one would have the money to get them back to Johto if that happened.

So Silver made sure to really keep an eye on Gill that night.

It wasn't easy though since Gill was bouncing around from table to machine to everything else at the casino. Silver had a hard time keeping an eye on the boy that by the time he tracked him down for the seventh time, he noticed that Gill was a bit drunk. Well, Gill wasn't exactly drunk but he could tell that there was some alcohol in his system. Silver didn't even want to know where he got the drinks from, he just knew that he needed to keep a hold on him and keep the boy sober before his ass got in trouble because of the Champion.

Gill was having a grand time though as he rolled some dice onto the table. He did a little cheer for himself to get some money, but he ended up losing half of the five hundred he earned. The boy wasn't happy about that as he tried his luck with the slot machines next, putting quarter after quarter into the machine. Gill had high hopes of winning some big money, but each time was met with a disappointing result.

"All of these machines are rigged!" shouted Gill. "I want to talk to the owner of this place. They're all cheating."

"It's a casino, Gill," Silver said, keeping a hold on his boyfriend. "The whole point of the casino is to take your money away from you. They don't want you to walk out of here with a penny. They wouldn't be doing their jobs then if you made a profit."

"Still don't like it!" Gill grumbled, pulling down on the lever. "I want my big money! Give me my damn big money, you stupid machine!"

Now, it was plenty clear that Gill was a bit of a light-weight. Silver knew that this boy couldn't handle his liquor and would soon make a total ass of himself. That would end badly too if anybody decided to show the Champion freaking out to the media or police. Then Silver would get his ass kicked by Gill's parents and who knows what might happen to him.

Silver tried to get some water and food into Gill, hoping that it would drown out the alcohol in his system. Gill was fighting him as he showed that he got a bit aggressive when he had some drinks in him. This would end very badly if Silver could get Gill a little sober before somebody caught them.

"Eat the cheese puff, Gill," said Silver. "They're delicious."

"No, I'm full," Gill said, fighting him. The boy pushed away from Silver and started to rub his tired eyes a bit. It wasn't so much that he was tired, it was just the liquor was starting to hit him a little bit. Maybe he should eat that cheese puff after all just so he could have a little pick-me-up.

Gill snatched the puff from Silver's hand and ate it whole, already feeling a bit better. Silver was a little relieved to see that Gill was a little more compliant after that. The boy even did, slowly, start to sober up a little since Silver made sure to keep all alcohol out of range.

At the next table they were at, Gill decided to fall into another poker game. The boy was competing against some seriously good players who were taking a good chunk of his money. Silver tried to get Gill out of this mess, but what little liquor was left in his system was making Gill fight him.

Gill managed to pull through until it was only him and one other player.

The opponent was a fairly, young woman who was easy on the eyes. She was dressed in a sunset-orange kimono with her black hair cut into a short bob. It was all kept neat by a red headband that she wore with a great deal of pride.

The woman's skin was gently kissed, showing that she spent a bit of time outdoors. She did love being outside especially whenever she was around grass, flowers, and trees. After all, Grass-type Pokémon were the specialty of this Gym Leader.

"You should really give up, Mr. Hart," said the Celadon City Gym Leader. "I'm a professional at poker. There is no beating me."

"No, I can guarantee that I will win, Ms….umm…"

Gill was having some trouble remembering her name so the Gym Leader had to stand up for herself. Her fellow companions stayed guard around her, keeping their eyes on Gill and his boyfriend. "I'm Erika, Gill Hart," said the Gym Leader. "I run the Celadon Gym."

"So, I'm the Johto Champion," said Gill. "My Pokémon could kick your Pokémon's asses!"

"Maybe, but at least I win at poker," said Erika. She placed her cards on top of the table with a cheery smile on her face. Her entire hand was laid out for Gill and everyone else to see. "A Royal Flush. I highly doubt that you can beat that?"

"Bitch!" Gill said, dropping his cards. "You cheated, I demand a rematch!"

Erika laughed as she took the money that Gill had on the table. Another two hundred dollars were gone from his pocket and found their way into the hands of a Gym Leader. "Sorry Champion, but I don't do rematches," she said, smiling. "I do hope you enjoy your stay in Celadon City though. Goodbye."

Erika left the table with Gill yelling after her for another match.

It was then at that point that Silver knew that he really needed to get Gill out of there.

Silver managed to trick Gill into agreeing to leave with him by saying he'd have a private match with Erika. Gill fell for that trick and followed Silver outside only to have his half-drunk ass lifted up by Silver. The Champion found himself being carried away by Silver so he started to scream at him to let him go.

Silver didn't listen though, he was more concerned about getting Gill someplace safe before too much trouble was caused.

Besides, they had already lost more then enough money at the casino. It sucked too because Silver didn't get a chance to play like he wanted to. Gill ruined those plans he had to drink and gamble by beating him to the punch.

Oh well, there was always a next time.

* * *

After he wisely got Gill away from the casino, Silver got them a room to stay at a local hotel. They would be able to get some well deserved rest there. Gill was completely knocked out on the bed, while Silver was busy using the hotel computer to scroll for some information about Mt. Moon.

As far as Silver could tell, there was nothing extraordinary about the mountain other then all the Clefairy that would dance at the summit. It was said that those Pokémon journeyed from across space and landed on Mt. Moon. Silver couldn't understand what Alien Pokémon had to do with him there. He knew that Sabrina was just blowing smoke, she couldn't be that good of a psychic then.

Still though, Silver felt that the note that Sabrina gave him really did mean something for him. One of the articles he that he read on the mountain did say that Team Rocket did set roots there for a moment. They also attacked Celadon City, Lavender Town, Cinnabar Island, the Sevii Islands, and Saffron City. Team Rockets had roots all over the Kanto region, especially in Viridian City where their headquarters was located. Giovanni was also the Gym Leader of the city's Gym, meaning he had his organization slip through all of the Pokémon League's traps.

Maybe there was something more to Mt. Moon then meets the eyes.

There were a lot of roots planted in Kanto soil that seemed to be dragging Silver under. Viridian City was hometown for starters, meaning that Silver was of Kanto birth. His family's history could be traced to this region as well with all of their criminal activity burned into the pages of history.

"What does this mean for me though?" whispered Silver. "Am I destined to be a criminal, to run Team Rocket like my father and grandmother before me? Or is there hope for me to escape that fate? Could I ever outrun my family's criminal history? Could I ever be free of all that?"

These were the questions that had plagued Silver for years.

For as long as Silver could remember, he feared becoming a criminal like the rest of his family. It seemed to be planted into his veins that this was the fate he had. Destiny seemed to want him to run Team Rocket like his father and grandmother did in the past. That was part of the reason he ran away in the first place.

Silver had been running for so long, for too many years in fact.

"Are you coming to bed?"

Gill was standing by the computer, rubbing his sleep eyes as he kept near Silver. The boy had the bed sheet wrapped around part of him, but most of the sheet had fallen off his frail body. Silver could see that Gill had nothing on but a pair of red briefs that clung onto his privates like a second skin. The tired look in Gill's eyes, from all the fighting and shopping and gambling, told Silver just how exhausted the pure-hearted boy was.

It was then that Silver remembered his other purpose. He was the rival of the Chosen Trainer. Where Gill was destined to form a bound with Ho-Oh, Silver had already forged his with Lugia. Maybe it was the Beast of the Sea that had the answers that Silver was searching for.

"I'll be there in a minute," Silver whispered. "Go back to sleep, Gill."

"Don't keep me waiting much longer," whispered Gill.

The boy retreated to their queen-sized bed and got back underneath the covers. Silver watched Gill for a few moments until he could hear the boy's soft snoring. Silver then returned to the screen, thinking a little more about what life had in store for him.

It was so mortifying that Silver slowly felt himself lose the threads to his sanity. He finally had to shut the computer down and get away before he completely lost all of it. He stripped off his shirt and pulled his pants down along with his boxers before finally climbing over to the bed.

Silver crawled under the covers and pressed his naked body against Gill, holding the innocent boy that kept everything together. Whenever Silver had Gill in his arms, he felt that nothing could touch him. He felt invincible with the Johto Champion there. Most importantly though, he knew that Gill honestly loved him in a way that nobody had ever bothered to show him before.

Thanking his luckiest stars, Silver found himself a bit at ease as he began to drift off into sleep with Gill there.

Gill felt Silver's presence and pressed his warmth against his boyfriend. Gill knew that a lot of things were bothering Silver so he was going to do his best to keep that trouble away from him. He would fight his hardest to keep Silver with him, he refused to let go of the man he loved.

And so the young lovers went into a deep sleep, happily in the arms of the one they loved the most.


	29. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: **YAY! Another fun-filled chapter. Haha. So...hope you guys like it. Leave reviews because there are only four more chapters left after this.**  
**

**Chapter Twenty-eight:**

The haze had escaped Gill since the fun times at the casino last night. Silver knew that their welcome in Celadon City would be worn out if the Champion was allowed to party like that in the casino. So long story short, Silver got Gill out of town as quickly as he could. They decided to make their way down south to Fuchsia City to see the famous Safari Zone.

The Safari Zone had been closed for a longtime, but the warden who ran it decided it was time to re-open. Now, the park was accessible to everyone so long as they respected the rules that were laid out.

From where they were, the quickest way to Fuchsia City was to take Route 17 south. This particular road was better known as Cycling Road because of how the route was only accessible to those who used bikes. The way that Route 17 was naturally built was a heavy, downward slope that would be dangerous for those who walked. Only those who used bicycles or motorcycles were permitted to take this route.

So the boys rented their bicycles from a local shop in Celadon City that they would return during the trip back. Gill already had it plotted on his to-do list that they were going to Cerulean City after Fuchsia City. Silver wasn't too thrilled with all of this running back and forth, but remained silent since he volunteered himself to accompany Gill throughout Kanto. He should've known better that this journey would possibly be more trouble than it was worth.

"Help me, Silver!" Gill shouted.

The young Champion had foolishly decided to go on ahead of Silver, which was his own damn fault. Silver only had to roll his eyes as he watched Gill fly down the slop like a miniature rocket. The boy continued to shout at the very top of his lungs, while Silver peddled as quickly as he could. It amazed Silver that such a small boy could always find himself in such big trouble; this boy never seemed to cease to amaze him.

Silver peddled as hard as he could until he finally was able to catch up to Gill. The red head snatched onto the bike, helping Gill to regain control. He was able to steady the bike, but it was up to Gill to reclaim the pedals.

At the rate they were going, they would've crashed into the water had Gill not finally succeeded in getting control of the damn bike. They were merely inches away from crashing. Silver was finally able to let out a calming breath now that they were at the very base of the slippery, downward slope from hell.

"I swear, Gill Hart, one of these days you will kill me!" growled Silver. "If you didn't know how to ride a bike properly then why did you suggest going down the Cycling Road in the first place?"

"How was I supposed to know that it was going to be this bad?"

Gill stumbled off his bike with his legs feeling like jello because they were so sore. The boy ended up dropping down to his ass and his helmet slid off his sweat covered head.

At this pathetic, but cute sight, Silver found himself sighing as he helped the Champion get up. He brushed off the dirt and grass from the boy's bottom before pressing a gentle kiss against the flushed cheek. Gill felt himself blush for a second, while he found himself being held in Silver's arms once more.

"Besides, why should I be so cautious?" asked Gill. "I got you around. You're like my personal Superman."

Silver rolled his eyes for a second as a light chuckle escaped his throat. He kissed Gill once more, leaving a slight burn against the boy's lips. "Even Superman has his limits, my dear," whispered the red head. "It's best not to test the gods' charity."

From that point on, Silver led the way to their next destination with Gill following in tow.

* * *

The historic village really wasn't that special outside of the Safari Zone.

Gill and Silver looked at the city and didn't really see the city in it. In fact, the place looked more like Mahogany Town than anything else. If it wasn't for the Safari Zone then this place would've been almost as dead as Mahogany Town, which was only interesting because of the Lake of Rage. Without those tourist attractions, it would be frightening to see just what the two towns would've looked like.

Anyhow, they walked passed all the feudal style buildings until they reached the elegant splendor of the Safari Zone. Instead of looking like a giant shack in the wilderness like in the pamphlets, the Safari Zone was of considerable size and magnitude. It made sense sine it cost so much for a single person to even play the Safari game that was so popular amongst Trainers who could afford it.

Within the Safari Zone lurked rare Pokémon that were hard to capture and find. In this safe habitat, the Pokémon there were open to capture for Trainers, at a set price. The rules were that only thirty Pokémon could be captured within an hour time-limit. This was to prevent too many of the Pokémon to be taken out of the habitat. The Trainers also had to leave all their Pokémon behind as well in order to prevent battling from damaging the natural environment.

Silver had to admit that he was impressed by this particular spot. He knew he could snag himself a couple of decent Pokémon while he was in here so he followed Gill further without hesitating.

As they finally made their way inside the building, someone was making her way out.

The young woman was all dolled up like a ninja and appeared to be around Gill's age, if not older. She had purple hair that was pushed back with a fuchsia headband. A fuchsia scarf trailed behind her as she walked around in black, ninja robes. She also bore a strong, soul sucking stare that frightened everyone that came across her.

Not even Gill was immune to the chilling affects of this stare.

The young Champion got out of her way, but Silver refused to budge. The red head only provided reason to invoke the wrath of this young woman, much to everyone else's shock and dismay.

"Are you going to move or not?" said the girl.

"There's space," said Silver, "you can pick another path."

The girl huffed before pushing pass Silver, fighting through the difficulty of it. She took off towards the exit and finally left the Safari Zone behind her.

A joyous laugh filled the air next as an older man made his way to the boys. He was dressed up in full safari gear and found that Silver was interesting for how he treated the girl. Oh yes, he was going to show this young man and his companion a good old time.

"Not many people are brave enough to stand up against our Janine," laughed the old man. "She is a fisty, little ninja. About aggressive as her father too."

"Should I really care?" asked Silver.

"What he means, sir," Gill interrupted, "who is this Janine and why is she so…"

The old man just had to finish the sentence for the boy, he just had to! "Terrifying?" laughed the old man. He couldn't stop laughing with that one before straightening himself out. "Our Janine is the Gym Leader of this city and from time to time comes to the Safari to make sure none of the Pokémon are poached. She took the position after her father, Koga, was promoted to the Elite Four."

"That's Koga's daughter!" said Gill. "Wow…he didn't mention he had a daughter when I kicked his ass."

"I knew you looked familiar!" said the old man. "You're the Johto Champion, Gill Hart. Wow, two remarkable faces in one day. I am one lucky warden. Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Baoba Warden, the owner of the Safari Zone."

"Nice to meet you, sir," said Gill. "This is my boyfriend, Silver."

"A pleasure to meet you both," said the warden. "Now, since you and your friend here are so special, I'll give you a personal tour of the Safari Zone. Trust me when I'll say that you'll have lots of fun. I'm afraid you will have to follow all the rules though so no Pokémon can be taken with you and you'll receive the thirty Safari Balls, deal?"

"Deal!" Gill said, happily.

"Deal," Silver said, shrugging his shoulders.

A smile formed on the old man's face, the warden escorted the boys into the Safari Zone for their brief visit and exploration to capture as many Pokémon as they could.

* * *

The lovers Nidoqueen and Nidoking that Gill caught and the rivals Scyther and Pinsor that Silver caught were fine additions to their teams. And with their visit to the Safari Zone over and since there wasn't much else to do in Fuchsia City, the boys got to work on planning their next destination. First though, they made sure to get a room at the Pokémon Center since it was already nightfall in Kanto. There was no point in travelling any further since they were risking getting attacked by bandits and crazy people.

Gill munched on his carrot stick as he stared at the map of Kanto. Silver already made it clear that they weren't going to take Cycling Road back. After Gill's little adventure today that was pretty much out of the question. Plus, Silver was also trying to avoid letting Gill get anywhere near that casinos in Celadon City. They would just have to return the bikes to the sister branch of the shop in Celadon City that was located in town.

"It looks like we're going to take the long way then," Gill said, checking the map. He pointed out to Silver, who sat beside him, so that he could see for himself. Gill traced the path that they would have to take just to figure out how they would get to Cerulean City. "There's no questioning that we have to take Route 15. After that, there's so many paths open to us to take. We can either go to Vermillion City or to Lavender Town. Then we could walk through Saffron City or if we take Lavender Town then we could also take the tunnel. Either way, it's going to be a long journey to Cerulean City."

"That's going to take a day or two on foot then," said Silver. "I don't want to risk us travelling at night. We don't have a car so that's too risky. Besides, you're the Champion, who knows what we might run into. A lot of people envy and hate your guts so we need to be as careful as possible."

Gill wanted to agree, but he couldn't help but to find himself staring at the red head. It was so weird hearing Silver talk about being cautious all of the time since he was Mr. Arrogant, Mr. Aggressor, and Mr. I'mGoingToBeatYourAss. Dare he say it, but Gill was sensing some kind of irony or something along those lines as he finished off the remains of his salad.

With his plate cleared, Gill snuck back to the buffet table to pick up some real food called meat.

Silver, on the other hand, got to work on mapping out a safe route for them to take to Cerulean City. His attention did stray though once he got sight of Mt. Moon and saw for himself just how close it was to their destination. No doubt, Gill would want to go to the other cities along the western half of the region so that would mean going through Mt. Moon.

Soon enough, Silver would have to go face whatever it was that waited for him at top the mountain. Whatever that might be, he would have to be ready for the worst.

* * *

The two day journey was over as Gill and Silver finally made it to the "Floral Lagoon City" that was better known as Cerulean City.

Route 14 wasn't too difficult of a journey, but Gill had decided to go up further north to Lavender Town. He was determined to go through the Rock Tunnel in order to reach their next destination. So it was almost another day spent navigating through the awful, long, and dark tunnels before finally reaching Route 10 that housed a Pokémon Center, luckily. They were able to rest up there for a bit before going onward to Route 9 before finally reaching the city.

A victorious cheer escaped the lips of the peppy Champion as he threw his arms into the air for good measure. He spun around to his lover, who just stood there like Mr. Grumpy-Pants. Gill had to roll his eyes at him before pressing a kiss against the lips of the young man.

"Stop frowning so much," said Gill. "Your face will freeze up if you keep doing that."

Silver only grumbled a response before hooking his arm around Gill's neck. They started to press onward to the city with the first thing on the agenda was to find a decent place to sleep for the next few nights. Gill counted all their pennies and nickels, realizing that they had more than enough to get one of the nicer rooms in the city. They were able to get a hotel room that had a few of the lagoons that raced all over the town.

Gill also caught sight of the Cerulean City from the balcony of their room. They were there to drop their things off before making their rounds around the city. A smile crept up Gill's face as he saw the Gym of the famous Water-Pokémon Master.

"Did you know I wanted to be a Water Pokémon Trainer?" said Gill.

"You wanted to be a Swimmer?" Silver said, dropping his bag. "Well, that's certainly contrary to your line-up. I thought Dratini was your first Pokémon?"

"She was," said Gill, "but before her, I thought about training only Water Pokémon. It was a dream of mine that didn't last too long. I think it mostly had to do with my dad starting off with a Squirtle. I wanted to be so much like him more so then I ever realized." For a moment, Gill remembered the legions of Water Pokémon that he wanted to raise. They were all so pretty and elegant and strong that it made the boy's head see lots of bubbles.

As Gill started to lose himself in thought, Silver snuck up behind him. He wrapped himself around that thin waist, pressing the boy's back against his chest. "And now you're better than him," said the young man. "You've proven yourself to be the superior Trainer and you also saved Johto and you are the Chosen Trainer. You're a special, little bee."

"Oh shut up," Gill said, laughing as he pushed himself free. "Let's feed you before you go all diva on me."

Silver wouldn't disagree with that one, mostly since his stomach ratted him out with a rumble.

The boys found a quite place to eat not too far from the hotel that they were staying at. The restaurant had a nice view of the water so they were able to enjoy their meal in a peaceful serenity. At least, that's how they planned it until they heard some squealing from a bunch of girls at another table.

Gill was determined to ignore them, but it was getting downright rude how loud they were getting. It amazed him that Silver had yet to snap, yet the boy knew that the patience was wearing thin. If Gill didn't react soon then Silver would very soon rip the heads off of these pretty women.

"I can't believe he proposed to you at the cape!" said one of them.

"At sunset too," said another. "He is so romantic."

"Doesn't the Gym Leader go there a lot with her boyfriend?" said another woman. "I bet she was so jealous if she caught the two of you."

"Oh, who knows," said the bride-to-be. "Misty can just go drown for all I care. What matters most to me is that I'm getting married!"

The women cheered once more, so loudly that it finally pushed the last of Silver's buttons. Gill quickly sprang from his chair before Silver could do anything then made his way over to their table. The young Champion made sure he was perfectly polite as he congratulated the future married woman before asking her party to quite it down a little bit.

Oddly enough, they followed the boy's request, mainly because they recognized him as the Johto Champion.

As Gill returned to the table, he saw that Silver was calmer now that he could eat in peace again. That brought a sigh of relief to Gill as he finished off the rest of his meal. And thanks to the young ladies, Gill also had their next destination in mind. He was very curious now to visit this cape that he heard everyone talk about.

* * *

It took a bit of convincing on Gill's part, but he was able to swing it so that Silver had no choice but to go with him to Cerulean Cape. The secluded area was a primetime hotspot for couples to get cozy with so Gill was able to sway Silver into going with him. Plus, the promise of falling off a cliff and dying was enough of a motivating force to get the red head on his feet.

After a bit of wandering around, Gill and Silver made it through Route 25 to finally reach the cape. There was also a cottage around there that they learned belonged to the famous Pokémonfanatic, Bill, that gave Gill his Eevee. It was kind of cool to see Gill's place, but the Champion cut out the fascination with that so he could focus on the prize.

It was too bad that their prize wouldn't quite agree with Gill right. As they were nearing the top of Route 25, Gill took notice to a young couple that was hanging out by the water. A guy and a girl were laughing rather loudly and seemed to be really enjoying themselves as the sun slowly began to set over the horizon.

When Gill and Silver got too close, the guy took notice of them with a look of panic racing across his face. The guy immediately got away from the water and took off running, while his date started to yell at the dusty trail he made. She growled with frustration and decided to take her feminine fury out on Gill and Silver.

She grabbed her white jacket to cover up her white and blue one-piece. She then marched over to where the boys were with the fury of a saint in her eyes. "What the fuck!" she shouted, angrily. "You ruined my date, assholes!" Her green eyes bore the wrath of a goddess with her orange hair starting up a flame in the storm she created. Of course, this was all psychologically speaking, not that she could really create a storm like that.

"Calm down, chick," said Silver. "Don't blame us because your date didn't want to be seen with you. I would be more pissed at him then at us."

"You are such a dick!" said the young woman. She clenched her fist into a ball and looked as if she would punch Silver at any moment. Gill quickly played the role of the peace-keeper with his face soon being recognized by the girl. She softened up a bit, but still looked as if she was ready to kill someone. "Champion Gill, it's a pleasure to meet you in person."

"And you are?" Gill asked. It sucked having such a recognizable face since he didn't know who anyone was.

The young woman brushed her wet, orange hair back. A bit of the water whipped against Silver, which she considered to be a little bonus. "I am Misty, the Gym Leader of Cerulean City," said the young woman. "I am a master of Water Pokémon. And now I need to get back to the city so that I can kick my boyfriend's ass. If you'll excuse me."

Gill nodded his head, giving Misty plenty of room to take off after her boyfriend who was long gone by now.

These were the random moments that Gill just lived for. His life was chalk full of these out of the ordinary moments that nobody else in the world could experience things like this.

Silver just rolled his eyes as he started to look up towards the sunset. The red head figured that they might as well enjoy this romantic setting since they went through all of the trouble to come here. He got comfortable on the grass and started to bask in the beauty of nature with Gill dropping down beside him.

At least, that's how they both had planned to spend their sunset.

However, a familiar cry caused Gill to jump to his feet. The Champion looked up towards the peak of the cape to see a blur that took off to the very top. Out of instinct, the boy's feet guided him up to the peak with Silver trailing behind him. Silver was yelling the whole time at Gill as they were running, trying to get some answers out from the boy.

Gill remained perfectly silent until they were at the top. Once they were there, Gill found himself staring at a true beauty that was surrounded by its two friends. And with the sun setting behind the boys, the light radiated marvelously against the trio of Legendary Pokémon.

Suicune had decided to grace Gill and Silver with its presence, bringing Entei and Raikou with it.

The Legendary Beasts each gave out their ferocious cries before Entei and Raikou started to split away from Suicune. The Beasts of Fire and Electricity took off behind the boys to prevent them from leaving that way. The Beast of Water let out a soothing call from its mouth, which soon found its way into Gill's eardrum.

"You want us to battle," Gill said, softly. "You want to test the strength of my heart.

Despite the lack of communication skills, Gill could understand Suicune as well as he could Silver or any other human. The Legendary Pokémon spoke as clear as day to Gill, telling the Champion that it was time for him to be tested. Suicune let another cry escape its mouth just to tell Gill that the Return of the Rainbow was near.

Silver grabbed onto Gill's arm, pulling the boy back for a moment. He backed them both up when they soon felt the heat and sparks emanating from the two Legendary Beasts. A few growls escaped their muzzles, which worried Silver for Gill's safety.

"This is dangerous," said Silver. "We have to find a way to get out of here."

"No," Gill said, disagreeing. "I have to be tested. This is the moment that they've been waiting for."

"But Gill."

Two fingers touched Silver's lips, keeping him from saying anything else. Gill simply smiled at him before leaving his lover's side to face part of his destiny. Gill pulled a Pokéball out from his pocket, choosing to use Pikachu for this battle. His Electric Mouse let out an electrical discharge from his cheeks before taking a good look at the Legendary Pokémon.

Suicune only nodded its head and let out a soft call to tell them that it was time.

Gill had Pikachu attack with Thunderbolt at the first instant. The bolts of electricity shot through Pikachu's cheeks and made their way towards Suicune. As the electricity came crashing down, Suicune remained perfectly still while dirt flew up all around it.

The Legendary Beast did not fear a thing as the electricity danced dangerously close to it. On the contrary, Suicune simply shrugged it off before charging towards Pikachu. The large, blue hexagon on its forehead began to glow as Suicune fired an Aurora Beam from it. A colorful beam of freezing light frosted part of the ground as it went straight towards Pikachu.

Gill's Pokémon was able to jump out of harm's way, avoiding the Legendary Pokémon's attack to counter one of his own. Pikachu let out a lot of power just to use Thunder. The bolts of electricity that escaped his body began to slam into the ground, attacking all around Suicune like his previous attack. This time, Pikachu's attack had a lot more power behind it, making Suicune flinch as the electricity began to surge throughout its being.

A storm of bubbles escaped Suicune's mouth as it used Bubblebeam against Pikachu. The bubbles started to burst all around Pikachu, doing a surprising amount of damage despite the differences in elemental types. Pikachu rolled around on the ground, but got back on his feet and refused to submit to his adversary.

Silver was surprised to see this, but he wasn't at the same time. He knew that Gill and his Pokémon would always fight until the bitter end no matter who the opponent was. He had seen this everytime that they had battle against each other. It was the same kind of determination that Silver felt whenever he was trying to best Gill in a battle, a true victory that he had yet to claim against the Champion.

Entei and Raikou kept standing like the living sentinels that they were. They watched the scenes unfolding before them, sensing the heart and spirit of this Chosen Trainer. Meanwhile, Suicune continued to administer the test by battling against the Chosen and his Pokémon.

Suicune followed up by using its wind based abilities to use Gust against Pikachu. The tail ribbons that danced alongside its body began to flutter as a strong wind began to glow in behind the Legendary Beast. The Gust took off on its own and threatened to suck the lightweight Pikachu up into it had Pikachu not used his tail to keep him grounded.

Pikachu used Iron Tail to give density to his body, keeping him planted on the ground. And the minute that the Gust had let up, Pikachu decided that it was time to really go on the offensive. Gill felt this calling too as he nodded his head and told Pikachu to use Volt Tackle.

An electrical surge began to consume Pikachu as he used his full speed to take off after Suicune. Although, Pikachu's speed was significantly slower than the Legendary Beast, Suicune failed to anticipate such a movement from the little Pokémon. Pikachu took the leap of fate with his body completely consumed by the Volt Tackle as he charged in after Suicune.

Volt Tackle crashed against Suicune, doing the harm that it intended to do. Suicune was pushed across the grass until it landed dangerously close to the edge. To no one's surprise, Suicune kept one paw forward to keep itself from falling off. As for Pikachu, he landed on the ground, feeling the discharge of electricity shock his own body in result of using Volt Tackle.

Gill held his breath and waited for Suicune to strike once more with an attack that never came.

Suicune simply started to walk forward until it was closer to Gill and his Pikachu. A soft cry escaped the Legendary Beast's lips that was followed by the other two. Gill heard the meaning of this in his mind as he listened closing to the words of the Legendary Beasts.

"I passed," whispered Gill.

Suicune, Entei, and Raikou gave out a loud cry that briefly shook the ground. The Legendary Beasts united together with Suicune telling Gill that he needed to find the feather of the Rainbow in order to meet his destiny. Again, Silver failed to hear these words since only Gill could understand the words that the Legendary Beasts spoke through a psychic link that connected them together.

The Legendary Beasts disappeared after wishing the Chosen Trainer good luck.

Gill could only shake his head as his realization from earlier started to come back to him that these extraordinary events could only happen to him.


	30. Chapter 29

**Author's Note: **Woo, I'm finally done with this new lovely chapter. I really hope you guys enjoy this one. Haven't been getting many reviews the past couple of weeks so I'm just assuming that you all hate me. Oh well...I like thi story so that's all that matters. Read and review.**  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: **

They stood at the base of Mt. Moon with their eyes gazing up the impressive summit that stood before them.

Well, at least it used to be that way. According to history, the mountain used to be significantly larger, but a powerful Pokémon tore part of the mountain apart in a display of psychic fury. Even know, the scars of such a being were evident in the way that the summit bore jagged lines across the surface. Nature could not perform such a task, this had to have been done by outside forces.

Silver found himself staring at the summit longer then he expected. He wasn't surprised to hear that Gill wanted to go to Pewter City yesterday after the whole incident with Suicune. A Legendary Pokémon sending you out on a mission to find another Legendary Pokémon kind of was a big deal.

But with this opportunity, Silver was given the chance to face Sabrina's note by stepping foot on Mt. Moon. Going through the mountain was the quickest way to reach Pewter City from Route 4. The only other way was to either go through a cave in Vermillion City or going the long way to Cinnabar Island which meant going back to Fuchsia City.

Gill was perfectly unaware of everything that was brewing in Silver's mind. He simply thought they were going on a lovely journey, while Silver kept his true motives hidden from the boy he loved. Silver had to see for himself what Mt. Moon had in store for him, even if it meant dragging Gill into a strange ride.

The guilt was a bit much so Silver decided to share some information with Gill. It was nothing about his true intentions on visiting Mt. Moon, but it would at least explain some of the dirty business that Team Rocket had been involved with. This would give Gill a bit of insight into the dark world that Silver was raised in for most of his childhood.

"You see that sealed off cave all the way over there?" Silver asked, pointing at a distant point.

Gill had to squint his eyes a little bit, but he was able to see it. That spot had looked like it might have been a cave once, yet it was now sealed off for who knows how long. "Yeah," Gill said, nodding his head. "What's so special about it?"

"That's where Mewtwo resided," said Silver. "Mewtwo was a Pokémon that Team Rocket had created from the DNA of a Legendary Pokémon called Mew."

Now Gill's attention had been lured in as the boy's hazel eyes began to light up. Silver stopped walking for a moment and looked off to the distant cave. "Mew is said to be one of the original Pokémon. The DNA of Mew is ancient and all Pokémon evolved from Mew through a different kind of evolution. Anyways, Team Rocket had uncovered some of this DNA and used it to create a super Pokémon that would make them unstoppable. That's how Mewtwo was born, a powerful Psychic Pokémon that was mentally unstable. Mewtwo broke free from Team Rocket's control and nearly destroyed them in the process. My father was so angry that decades of research and development had been wasted. They were able to track Mewtwo down in this cave, but it refused to be captured then it did all of this damage to Mt. Moon before finally disappearing."

"Poor Mewtwo," whispered Gill. "I bet it didn't want to be used as a weapon that's why it escaped."

"That is possible," said Silver. "Mew was said to be a gentle, loving Pokémon. Maybe Mewtwo would've been the same way had Team Rocket not blackened its outlook on life. Now no one knows where Mewtwo is or if it shall ever return."

Gill thanked Silver for telling him the story, while reading the true message loud and clear.

It was painfully obvious that Mewtwo wasn't the only one who had suffered a great deal because of Team Rocket.

Gill remained silent, however, as he followed Silver to Mt. Moon.

* * *

The trek through the caves of Mt. Moon was nowhere near as painful as Gill had originally expected them to be. It was relatively peaceful and painless to be in fact. Except for the occasional moments of being lost, Silver managed to navigate them through the dark caves without "too much" trouble. At least that was being put lightly since there was a bit of trouble since they did get lost.

Still though, they didn't quite make it to their ultimate destination.

Within two hours, Gill and Silver made it out of the caves only to reach a strange part of mountain that was mostly untouched. Everything seemed to have been carved purely from nature as they made their way around this plaza-like area. The mountains surrounded this portion of the summit with colorful flowers blossoming along the side and a small lake towards the side.

The area was perfectly flat, appearing safe enough for camping.

Gill was surprised to see such a marvelous sight, especially in the middle of the afternoon. This area had been left untouched by human hands and just made this spot perfect for everything. The boy was going completely wild as he danced around, embracing this serene place of nature with his own two eyes.

Meanwhile, Silver was having a bit more difficulty dealing with this sight. He slowly began to trek his way forward until his memory started to play images from his past. The thing that came to mind was his first and only experience on Mt. Moon before this day. He had been to this place before, he had seen this place before.

It all began to play for Silver like a video in his mind.

He was only a child when he was last here, maybe only eight years old at that point. No, he was eight years old, Silver remembered this awful day with certain clarity. Mt. Moon was beautiful and Silver was excited that his father had taken him here, even if it was with those bullies in Team Rocket.

While the Grunts did some job in the caves, Giovanni had taken Silver for a special tore along the summits. They had made their way to this very spot at night during a full moon. A group of Clefairy had found their way to this spot where they began to dance with dark, gray stones in each of their hands.

A young Silver had found this to be exceptionally beautiful, while Giovanni only saw opportunity for this. As Silver was completely mesmerized by their performance, Giovanni pulled out a gun from his coat and began to take aim at the Clefairy. Two Pokémon had been shot and now laid dying on the grass with the others running away.

Giovanni went over towards the bodies, plucking the Moon Stones from the dead hands of the Clefairy. _"Opportunity provides rewards, son,"_ laughed Giovanni. _"Never forget that. It is a life lesson you should carry with you forever."_

The little boy did not wish to hear of any life lessons, he only cried for the dead Clefairy before being dragged away by his killer of a father.

Silver felt tears running down his cheeks as he looked towards the spot where the Clefairy had been murdered by his monster of a father. Nature had healed the damage done, ridding this place of the blood that had been spilt on the ground. If only his heart and mind were so fortunate to be healed from such a thing.

And so the last of the strings began to slowly snap apart.

Silver felt his head go completely numb as the pain just went away. Only, it didn't truly go away, it just got replaced by everything that had been boiling over until this point. Mentally, Silver started to fall apart as he completely dropped to his knees with a painful yell ripping through his throat in the process.

Gill was alarmed to hear this painful noise escaping from Silver. Knowing that something was terribly wrong, Gill ran over to his boyfriend side only to be pushed away the moment he tried to help. Gill landed on the ground, roughly, and found himself looking at his boyfriend's face only to see that the Silver he knew was gone.

"Opportunity provides reward," whispered Silver. The anger exploded as he began to shout into the sky. "What opportunity!" His voice echoed along the mountain top, along with his pain. Silver took out a Pokéball from his belt and held it up to his face, clinging onto it with all his might. "I never had my chance. I never got to be on top! Weak, pathetic, inferior…I don't deserve to call myself a man."

"Silver," mumbled Gill.

"Shut up, bitch!" yelled Silver. "It's all your fault! You did this to me. You ruined me with…with all that damn kindness! I'm weak because of you."

Gill knew that Silver didn't mean anything he said, but the venom behind the words was still present. Most importantly, whatever it was that Silver was going through, it was eating away at him at this moment. Something had infected Silver and it was killing him even as they speak.

Silver threw the Pokéball to the ground, releasing Feraligatr from his confines. He stomped his foot to the ground and bore hateful eyes over to Gill with bloodlust blinding him. "You will fight me!" shouted Silver. "You and I will fight once more and I swear that I will defeat the Champion!"

Knowing that there was no point in arguing, Gill just stood with a Pokéball in hand. If losing could save Silver then Gill would do it. He didn't know how far Silver wanted to go with this match, but he would do everything in his power to lost it so that it would protect Silver. Gill released his Typhlosion, knowing that he would lose against the Water-type without too much trouble.

With hope in his heart, Gill Hart prayed that this would save Silver Sol.

Speaking of saving, a ball of green light journeyed from its forest in Johto at this most important of moments.

"Feraligatr, Hydro Pump!"

"Typhlosion, Flamethrower!"

The two Pokémon unleashed their attacks of fire and water. The gallons of water launched out from Feraligatr's mouth, while Typhlosion spewed out a mouth full of fire. Their attacks met at the middle, creating just a great, big mess as they exploded against one another.

The collision created by their attacks was powerful enough to kick the Trainers back a few feet, while the Pokémon struggled to remain standing. Once again, the Pokémon of Water and Fire met at the middle as they grabbed hold of one another. It was Goldenrod City all over again, only this time it was Silver who was distraught, while remained calm.

Such violence could not be allowed to continue, and it wouldn't!

"_STOP!" _shouted a loud, innocent voice.

The green ball appeared above the Trainers and their Pokémon, putting an end to the fight. Feraligatr and Typhlosion were sent back into their Pokéballs by this light, while Gill and Silver were slowly brought up into the air. Initially, Gill was panicking and Silver was spewing more venomous curses into the air, but the light refused to listen.

All that it knew was that the suffering must come to a stop, so it took them away from Mt. Moon to someplace far away.

* * *

Everything seemed so dark as they floated through the haze of nothingness.

Gill's heavy eyelids slowly began to flutter open as he focused in on what was going on. His hazel eyes started to clear up enough to actually see where he was. As far as his eyes could see, Gill only saw a blank space that seemed to go on for an eternity.

The young Champion turned his head to the side where he saw that Silver was completely out of it. His crazed lover was floating along the empty space, appearing dead to the very world. Well, this wasn't much of a world, but Gill was still alarmed as he ran through the empty space to try and revive Silver.

His voice rang throughout the empty space until finally Silver's eyes began to flutter open.

Silver started to awaken after hearing Gill's voice for the hundredth time. The red head felt heavy despite the weightless effect of the space they were trapped in now.

"Where the fuck are we?" asked Silver.

"How should I know," said Gill. He pinched Silver's arm, forcing the red head to let out a painful yelp. At least he knew that they weren't dreaming. "You're the one who went all psycho and attacked. Last thing I remember is this strange green light hitting us."

"A green light?" said Silver.

It was difficult for Silver to remember, mainly because he had temporarily lost all control of himself. All of that pain that he had harbored away for so many years had came to the surface while watching the Clefairy do their dance. Somehow, their dance brought the past back for Silver, making him completely lose his mind.

While Silver was still trying to remember it all, Gill looked up to see a ball of green light streak across the blank sky. This alarmed the young Champion as he feared what might happen next to them before hearing a playful voice. His heart clenched up for a moment before it started to relax as it listened for another playful cry to escape them.

The light became a fairy-like creature that danced above their heads. This being had toe-less feet, three-fingered hands, and clear wings on its back. It's head was round with a slight point at the back that bore big, baby-blue eyes and had black rings around them. The antenna on its head was green with blue tips at the very top.

"_I have been watching you for a long time," _spoke the green creature.

"That isn't creepy at all," whispered Gill.

Silver started to stand on his own, brushing himself away from Gill. The creature slowly started to descend closer to the red head and held its hand out for the young man to touch. "You're a Pokémon," said Silver. "A powerful one too…who are you?"

"_Celebi," _said the Pokémon, _"I am the Guardian of the Forest. I witnessed you save Gill from Team Rocket years ago. I would've intervened, but I allowed you to protect this boy because I saw the connection that you two share."_

"You're a pretty good psychic," said Gill. "Where are we?"

"_The Edge of Time," _said Celebi, _"I posses the ability to move myself and others through time. I wish to help you both heal, especially you, Silver. I can grant you the peace that life has refused to give you."_

As Celebi's words spoke through them, the Legendary Pokémon of the Forest pulled them both from this empty space to someplace else.

* * *

Moving through time and space, Gill and Silver eventually found themselves in a bedroom painted a dark shade of blue. Their feet barely touched the ground when Celebi appeared floating above the two lovers. The Legendary Pokémon with the power of Time Travelling remained perfectly silent so that the Trainers could see this place with their own eyes.

Silver recognized this place from his childhood, this was his bedroom over in Viridian City.

"My old home," whispered Silver. "I was born and stayed in Viridian City until I was about ten years old. I spent a lot of time in this room, by myself, wishing that someone would play with me. Instead, I just got pushed around by my handlers and insulted by my father."

As the words left the mouth of the red head, a small boy appeared along with the rest of the bedroom furniture. Everything was pretty much plain and simple, unlike the way a child's bedroom should be like. There were no decorations, no toys, and no mess. The room was perfectly neat with a small boy sitting on the floor with a book on his lap.

The little boy did not seem like he even knew how to read, but that didn't stop him from turning the pages and imaging the tale. The pictures in the book helped to pain the image that the boy needed to tell the story to himself. It was the one treasure that he had that hadn't been tainted by those mean people who worked for his father.

Silver walked over to the little boy then found himself sitting down on the small mattress. His red hair fell over his shoulder as he saw the book for himself. "Goldie Locks and the Three Ursaring," laughed the red head, "that used to be my favorite story as a kid. I would pretend to read it all the time until I finally learned how to."

Gill smiled as he took the liberty to pay attention to just how cute Silver looked as a child.

Silver placed his hand on the shoulder of the little boy. Neither Gill or Celebi could see, but a single tear started to escape Silver's eye as he stared at his younger self. No child should have to be so alone, trapped in such a miserable place.

This was one of the rare occasions were the little boy wasn't tortured by the members of Team Rocket. It wasn't like his father cared about what happened to him either. Giovanni only cared that his heir would become strong and cruel like he was and the boy's grandmother. This was the only investment that Giovanni seemed to remotely care for.

Even then…there wasn't much caring involved in raising Silver.

Silver pulled himself away from the little boy, shaking his head as he got close to Gill and Celebi once more. He had to cover his hand with his face to hide the shameful urge he had to weep for the loneliness he felt for himself.

"_I wish life was like a fairy tale," _whispered the younger Silver.

"If only I could be," Silver said to his younger self. "Life would've been so much kinder to us."

As little Silver had been called away, Celebi used its powers over time to transport them to another point in Silver's life.

* * *

The next point had them being sent to Silver's second "home" across the ocean.

Gill looked around their new surroundings to see that they were by the ocean with a beach mansion behind them. Silver recognized this place as his defining moment. The red headed man looked around to see that this was a very familiar day for him.

"We're at the Sevii Islands," said Silver. "Father moved us here when he made his move onto conquering Kanto. This was around the same time that the Kanto Champion started his journey. At every turn, my father had been defeated by the future Champion until the day came that the final defeat reached him. When the Champion claimed the Earth Badge from my father, it had completely destroyed him to the point where he disbanded Team Rocket and went to seclusion. Not even I knew where he went."

As Silver finished speaking, a slightly younger version of Silver emerged from the mansion. Following behind the gangly, ten year old boy was his Sneasel. The Dark-type was chasing his Trainer at full speed with a playful laughter escaping the boy that Gill never heard before. This version of Silver was vastly different then the scared, little boy and the cold-hearted man that the Johto Champion knew.

No doubt, at this point in Silver's life, the boy was honestly happy with things.

Young Silver fell to the sand with Sneasel landing right beside him. The Trainer and Pokémon were laughing their heads off as the warm sun basked against their bodies. Sneasel curled against Silver and seemed to be taking a nap, while young Silver stared up to the clear, blue sky.

"_No more, Sneasel," _whispered young Silver. _"We won't be miserable any longer. Team Rocket is gone now and father is nowhere to be seen so…so we should get away from this place. We have to runaway!"_

Sneasel had woken up at that point, the determination in the boy's voice serving as a surprise. The Pokémon was probably worried about what would happen to them if they did such a thing. The way that Sneasel cried out to his Trainer seemed to be proof enough of that. He was trying to reason with his Trainer, despite knowing that Silver's mind had been made up.

"_We deserve better," _said young Silver. _"We shouldn't have to hurt every day. I shouldn't have to cry to you every day because those awful nannies were exceptionally mean to me. I shouldn't have to hear everyone call my mother…the mother I never knew, be called a whore. It's not right, it's not fair!"_

Gill listened and found his heart breaking as he saw the suffering Silver had to go through as a child. The heartbreak and agony in the boy's voice was plenty enough proof to show the Champion that Silver had gone through hell and back. It was all beginning to make sense now, the reason why Silver was who he was.

"_Brat!" _howled an agonizing voice.

Both Silvers flinched when they heard this voice. The Silver of the past immediately got to his feet and ran towards an angry looking woman who screaming at him. This awful woman had a broom in her hand and she used it to beat Silver and his Pokémon friend. As for the present Silver, he just shook and continued to weep uncontrollably as he relived through all of this.

The pain of his childhood was becoming too much for him to bare, it was clear to Celebi just how painful this was for Silver. It was a necessary act though, Silver needed to live through the pain once more in order to move onward. This was also going to be the chance that Silver needed to free himself from the shackles of suffering that blanketed his mind.

Once more, Celebi used its power to move them through time and space to their next destination.

* * *

The next memory was one that even Gill found himself recognizing without too much difficulty.

A slightly younger Silver was standing outside of Professor Elm's laboratory. The red head had his eyes gazing into the window to watch what the professor was doing. This was the very day that brought Gill and Silver together, beginning this wacky romance.

Gill looked over to his boyfriend and saw the way that he watched the younger version of himself. It made Gill wonder just why Silver was there in first place. The young Champion understood that Silver wanted to get away from the evil in his life, but why steal a Pokémon from Professor Elm? Why become such a jerk when he seemed like such a hopeful…kind child?

Celebi remained silent, allowing Silver to narrate his own story as he had done since the beginning.

"Why, Silver?" asked Gill. "Why did you steal Totodile? I still never understood your reasoning behind it. Especially now, after seeing where you came from."

"Partly…it was because I felt Professor Elm didn't deserve to hold onto Totodile," said Silver. "I had been watching him for weeks, I don't know what possessed me to though, but I did. What I saw was that he failed to take care of Totodile and Cyndaquil, at least properly. They were trapped in a laboratory when they should be out in the wild."

"Yet you raised your Pokémon through cruelty," said Gill. "How does that justify any of this?"

Silver sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. He looked towards Gill, trying to come up with a way to explain himself and everything that he did. "It's very complicated, more so then anyone realized," said the red head. "As cruel as everyone thinks I am, I wasn't so bad. I always cared for my Pokémon. They were always taken care of, I just pushed them to their very limits. Sometimes I was a little more aggressive then I should've been but it was always for the best. I wanted them to be strong because…because I never had the strength to stand up to my father."

And then history repeated itself for Gill and Silver.

"_What do you think you're doing?" Gill shouted at him._

_A fist flew swung around and nearly hit Gill, but the boy responded quickly enough. Gill managed to push his body back before the fist hit his jaw. A sigh escaped Gill, but he found himself losing his breath for a second as he got a good look at the stranger._

_This mysterious boy gave Gill the look of death when their eyes met. Gill met those gray colored eyes with wonder, lost for a moment as he examined the stranger. The boy was defiantly older than him and easily looked like he could take him down without any trouble. There was muscle buried underneath the jacket that showed his strength with his red bangs casting a shadow on his forehead._

_Gill was lost for a moment, but the boy snapped him out of it with a quick shove. Gill fell down to the ground and landed on his butt with his teeth shattering on impact. The mysterious boy had a violent temper apparently that frightened Gill a little as he looked up to those gray eyes._

_The mysterious boy looked into Gill's hazel eyes, piercing that innocent heart with his glare. It disgusted him and he could just smell the weakness that was all over the boy. "Stay out of my way," he hissed, simply. "Don't think just because you're a kid that I won't hurt you if you get in my way."_

_This conversation ended as the boy ran off to the woods, running to someplace to hide now that he was spotted. _

_Gill felt himself shaking a little as he struggled to get up. He had no idea what had just happened to him other then he nearly got his ass kicked by some handsome guy. He shook his head as he wondered where that thought came from. Why in the hell would he think that someone who was attacking him would be handsome?_

"_I should just get going to Elm's lab," Gill said, shaking out the memory of the weird boy._

Even the thoughts that the younger Gill had were open to the time travelers. Gill felt a little embarrassed as he remembered thinking that Silver was handsome even when he was about to get his ass kicked. Silver turned his head aside, feeling embarrassed for himself, especially considering how bad he acted the first couple of times they met.

Celebi felt that it was time for them to move on now as its eyes began to glow.

Soon enough, that day in New Bark Town would be a distant memory once again as they went to their next destination.

* * *

Appearances changed once again as Celebi took Gill and Silver to the next location, one that was vaguely familiar to them. Their feet touched the cold ground of the damp cave with it taking a moment for Gill to recognize this place. He was surprised as he announced that Celebi had brought them to the Tohjo Falls. Silver started to recognize this place as well, remembering that this was the dividing line between Johto and Kanto.

"Why are we here?" Silver asked Celebi.

The young men walked around the damp cave, while the Legendary Pokémon simply floated above them. Celebi started to fly higher until it disappeared into a different part of the cave, causing them both to worry. There was no evidence to what point in time they were so it was terrifying to think that their guide was abandoning them.

So they did the only reasonable thing to do. Gill and Silver released their Water-Pokémon to start following after Celebi's trail. Feraligatr and Poliwrath kept the boys afloat as they took chase after the Legendary Pokémon. Eventually, they discovered Celebi's trail went up a waterfall so it was necessary for their Pokémon to climb up a fifty-foot wall of water.

Once they reached the top, Celebi briefly could be seen before vanishing from sight. Gill and Silver tried to call after the Pokémon when they took notice of a strange noise. They made it to the bit of land in the surrounding area, finding that it was plenty of room to walk around in.

They followed the noise until discovering that it was coming from a small radio. The noise was clear now that they were close and it shocked them to hear this message once more. What they were listening to was Team Rocket's broadcast of their takeover of Goldenrod City.

Celebi had sent them to the Tohjo Falls during Team Rocket's takeover, but for reason?

"This isn't a place where little boys should be wandering around in," said a cold, dark voice.

Silver's entire body began to flinch when he heard this voice.

Gill, on the other hand, was in complete shock that somebody could actually see them. During their other time traveling adventures, they were kept "invisible" to everybody, until now. So Gill started to turn around to see who this person was that could see him. Whoever he was, Gill didn't doubt that this radio belonged to him.

It turned out to be a man, a frightening looking man. He stood over six feet tall with a black, trench coat covering his form. A suit was present underneath it, but his face was kept partially hidden by the fedora that he wore. Even with this outfit on, the man still seemed terrifying to Gill, while Silver looked as if he had heard the voice of pure evil.

In a way, this was the embodiment of all things evil to Silver.

The man carried a Pokéball in his hand, so it was obvious that he was a Trainer and ready to battle. He didn't hesitate in flinging that Pokéball to release the Pokémon that was contained inside. Emerging from the carrying devices was a fearsome Nidoking. The purple-scaled Pokémon gave out an angry roar as he stood in front of his Trainer, ready to crush the life out from these boys.

"I will only ask this once, what are you boys doing here?" said the mysterious man.

"Big talk for a man hiding in a cave," Silver growled, hatefully. He slowly turned himself around, surprising Gill and this man by the boldness in his voice. Silver didn't care, however, as he took out a Pokéball and made his approach of this man. "I should be asking the questions here! You abandoned me just to hide in some damn cave, listening to a stupid radio?"

The man's eyes lit up with wonder for but a moment as he tried to understand what this boy was saying. He nearly spat some cruel words from his mouth when it quickly began to dawn on him. Yes, it truly dawned on to him as he looked into the gray eyes and flaming, red hair. Now, it was very clear to him just who this boy was.

Gill, on the other hand, wasn't getting the big picture.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise," said the man. "I never expected this to happen. I thought it was you who reorganized Team Rocket, in my honor. Here I believed that you were finally living up to your full potential."

"I did live up to it, old man!" shouted Silver. "I didn't reorganize Team Rocket, but I brought it to its knees. I destroyed Team Rocket, ending your legacy, Giovanni!" Silver tossed his Pokéball forward, releasing his newly-evolved Alakazam.

Gill couldn't believe what he was hearing, but it was true enough. Giovanni stripped the fedora from his head, revealing his stone-hard face and pale complexion and spiteful brown eyes. The man looked so much like Silver, except for the hair and eye color, but the presence and emotion was clear enough.

"That is impossible!" said Giovanni. "The broadcast hasn't changed. I will be reunited with my glorious Team Rocket then we shall bring the world to its knees!"

"Think again and listen closely," said Silver.

As the words escaped his mouth, the broadcast that was playing had begun to change. Everything went static for a moment until a new message began to play. This was a message that Gill never heard, it was one that played while Silver was finishing up dismantling Team Rocket's regional broadcast.

"I, heir to Giovanni, hereby disband Team Rocket now and forever," said the Silver from that point in time. "All members are to cease all actions and surrender to the authorities. I have dismissed the Executives and put an end to their rule. As the blood heir to Team Rocket, son of Giovanni Sol, I proclaim that Team Rocket is no more."

Giovanni listened to this new broadcast and immediately felt his body began to shake. He could not believe what he was hearing. It could not physically be possible, his son could not be a two places at once.

What was most important was that his legacy had been devastated. All of the hard work that Madame Rocket and himself went through was all for nothing. His son had destroyed their family's legacy, the rule of Team Rocket had been torn to shreds by his own child.

"Traitorous brat!" growled Giovanni. "I knew I should've killed your whore of a mother when she was pregnant with you! Nidoking, Earthquake!"

"My mother wasn't a whore!" shouted Silver. "Alakazam, use Psychic!"

Before Nidoking could unleash the powerful Earthquake, Alakazam hit his opponent with a powerful psychic blast of energy. Alakazam spun his spoons around in hands to better channel his Psychic attack that effortlessly tore Nidoking to bits. The heavy-weight was thrown into the water were he caused a big splash.

Giovanni recalled his beaten Pokémon then sent out three at once to deal with his brat of a son. The blue-scaled Nidoqueen, the tanned-scaled Kangaskhan, and the dark-blue feathered Honchkrow made their appearance in the cave all at once. Gill called that cheating and was about to intervene with his own Pokémon when Silver forced the Champion to stop.

"I understand now," Silver said, simply. "This is how Celebi wanted to help me. It has given me this moment. It gave me this chance to face my demons. I finally have the opportunity to face my father just like you faced your own at the Indigo Plateau. Do not take this moment from me, Gill Hart!"

Gill went completely silent as he listened to the strength behind Silver's words. This wasn't just about fighting, this was about his pride and his pain. Silver was going to save all those broken pieces of himself that had been mutilated thanks to his father. Defeating Team Rocket and disbanding them had only been the beginning.

Silver finally had the opportunity to face his past and he wasn't about to let this moment pass by him.

Feraligatr and Weavile joined the battle against Silver's father. Both Pokémon were more than ready to put a hurting alongside Alakazam. Silver watched as Giovanni's charging Pokémon went straight towards them. He remained perfectly calm before springing his own companions out onto the offensive.

"Hydro Pump on Nidoqueen, Feraligatr! Alakazam, hit Kangaskhan with Psybeam. And you, Weavile, use Ice Punch on Honchkrow!" ordered Silver.

His Pokémon began to spread out to put a hurting onto Giovanni's Pokémon.

Feraligatr took on a deep breath before firing a heavy torrent of water from his mouth. The gallons upon gallons of water rushed over towards Nidoqueen, taking her down easily.

Weavile climbed up the cave walls with only a minimal effort before jumping towards Honchkrow. His fist began to go glow with a chilly, blue aura as he dangerously neared the incoming Honchkrow. Once within perfect range, Weavile brought his fist down onto Honchkrow's back, smacking the Flying-Dark-type down.

And Alakazam gave out a breath of concentrated as he covered his forehead with a spoon. Kangaskhan was stomping towards him with heavy feet. It soon became too late for Kangaskhan to run in the other direction. Alakazam fired a blast of psychic energy from his spoon, using Psybeam to deliver a critical hit on another heavy-weight Pokémon.

All of Giovanni's Pokémon had been defeated with only a minimal effort from Silver and his team. Silver kept perfectly calm as he walked up beside his Pokémon, standing alongside them in victory against this man-monster. Giovanni was done for, he had been defeated by his own son, allowing the young man to finally be free of his father's shadow.

"It's over," said Silver. "You can never hurt me again. You can never hurt those I care for. You have no power over me!"

Giovanni was in complete shock as he dropped the Pokéball that had belonged to his beaten Nidoking. The rest of his Pokémon looked towards their Trainer, wondering what to do next. Although, this man had treated them with such a degree of cruelty that they wouldn't miss him if he was gone. In all honesty, they longed to be rid of this man.

And soon their wish was about to be granted.

Giovanni was perfectly silent as he started to walk backwards. The man couldn't say or do anything but walk towards the ledge of the waterfall. His fedora slipped from his fingers and fluttered down towards the bottom until he finally gave in.

Giovanni fell backward, plunging towards his death.

Silver's eyes had widened in shock for but a second only for him to regain his composure. There was no point in spilling any tears to this monster.

Gill covered his mouth to hide his surprise from the man's actions. There was a splash, one that both of them were well aware that nobody could've survived. Gill made his way towards the edge just to take a peek until he saw something black float up to the surface, unmoving.

"He's dead," Gill whispered.

Nothing more was said because Silver and Gill were blinked from that point in time with Silver's Pokémon being sent back into their Pokéballs. Giovanni's Pokémon were free from their awful Trainer, allowed to return to the peaceful wilds.

* * *

Mt. Moon was virtually unchanged since they had left, except now a full moon was in the sky. The sun had long since set and now that the Trainers had returned from their journey through time, it was time to deal with the ramifications of everything that just happened. Celebi had accomplished the mission that it set itself out to do, and now Gill and Silver were left to pick up the pieces.

It was up to them to decide where to go from there.

Silver placed a hand over his head and basked in the light of the moon. With the stars clear above his head, a wave of peace began to finally wash over him. A feeling like any other began to overwhelm Silver until he finally let it out the only way that seemed possible. He began to cry, he completely dropped his guard and allowed these tears to escape from the cold-hearted wall that he placed over his entire being.

Gill only watched as Silver seemed to fall to pieces, remaining perfectly silent. It was necessary that Silver was given this moment to just deal with everything that had happened to him. They only journeyed through the most painful moments of his life and he watched his father commit suicide after defeating him. In Gill's book that seemed to require a couple of minutes, at least, to recompose yourself.

For Silver, it took only a minute to deal with all of this before finally laughing. Through all of the tears and bitter memories of his life, Silver soon found himself balling over with laughter after everything that just happened. It was plenty clear to him that everything was over, the sins of the father were finally no longer baring their weight on his shoulders.

"I'm free at long last," whispered Silver. "He is gone from my life, forever."

"Still your father," Gill said, silently. "Shouldn't you…shouldn't you say something for him?"

"You can't miss what you never had, Gill," Silver said, calmly. "Giovanni, as far as I'm concerned, was only my sperm donor. He didn't understand the definition of a father. I can say that he wasn't even a quarter of the man that your father is."

Silver turned around, finally truly facing Gill for the first time in ages. His arms made their way around the youth's neck and for a moment, Silver just looked the boy straight in the eye. "This was painful for me," said Silver. "This was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but at least I got to see the one good memory I have. The day I met you, Gill Hart, was the day that brought me one step closer to true happiness."

"Silver…"

"Don't say a word," whispered Silver. He leaned close to Gill, kissing him lightly on the lips. He placed all the love he had for this boy with one, gentle kiss that took both of their breaths away. But Silver had to end things, he needed to do what he needed to do. "This journey has made me realize that I can't be around you, at least not now. I still have some demons to face before I can be yours."

"No, I need you," Gill began to beg as tears started to form.

Silver placed his fingers against Gill's lips to keep him from saying another word. His mind was already made up, it was painfully obvious that Silver had to go for now. Gill would understand that in time. For now, Silver had to do things on his own in order to be rid of the last of his demons, even though, his father was "supposedly" gone now.

In a deep corner of his head, Silver knew that there was a possibility that Giovanni was still out there and that needed to be swiftly dealt with.

"You don't have to worry about me," Silver said, holding onto Gill. "When you need me…when I'm ready, I'll come find you. And as soon as that day comes, I will never leave your side again. I will be with you until the end of time."

"What if I really do need you now?" Gill asked, crying against Silver.

"You somehow always need me," Silver said, laughing only a little bit. "But when you really, truly need me to be there for you then I'll be with you. I love you, Gill."

Gill tried to say those words back, but he found himself being choked by his tears. Silver knew what Gill was trying to say so he smiled at him before kissing the boy one last time. And without further ado, Silver left Gill's side, leaving the young Champion alone.

Gill felt completely alone as he dropped to his knees, watching Silver leave him. The tears were running down in rivers now just as the Clefairy began to make their way out from their hiding places. The Clefairy flocked towards the small body of water to perform their dance with the Moon Stones, while Gill continued to weep.

Celebi watched this final scene unfold and truly felt bad for Gill.

However, the Time Travel Pokémon knew that Gill would be reunited with his precious Silver sooner than he expected.


	31. Chapter 30

**Author's Note: **So another fun update out of the way. There will only be two more chapters left after this. I should be done by next week which is kinda sad but kind of good. Haha. Oh well. You shall see what I have planned next! Read and review.**  
**

**Chapter Thirty: **

The city was beautifully surrounded by the rocky terrain that came down from Mt. Moon. As Gill stepped foot inside of Pewter City, he found that the city actually looked like it might have some interesting things lurking about. It may have been smack dab between mountains, but that didn't hinder the curiosity that the city brought him.

Still though, Gill wished he could be sharing this experience with Silver. His lover had promised to be with him throughout his journey into Kanto, but failed to keep that promise. Not that Gill could blame Silver for that. What they had been through thanks to what Celebi showed them. Silver witnessed his own father commit suicide after their battle, so Gill knew that this was a troubling time for Silver.

"I just have to give him some time to himself," Gill whispered, calmly.

The young Champion started to wander deeper into the city to see what it had in store for him. And the best place to go to find out what exciting adventures that a town might hold in store was their Pokémon Center. Gill figured it would be wise to get a room there for the night. There was no sense in paying for a fabulous hotel room if he couldn't even share a bed with somebody.

All that room would only serve to be a dreadful reminder for what was missing.

It was ridiculous how Gill felt the constant need to beat himself up over this. There was nothing he could say or do that would've changed Silver's mind from going. He already professed his love, he told Silver that he needed him so it's not like the boy didn't put up a fight.

Silver had his own demons to chase, he wouldn't be that good of a boyfriend if he was always staring off in the distance. There were things that Silver needed to find the answers to and Gill just had to support him for going off on his own. After all, Silver did promise that he'd come back as soon as he could. Gill knew that the red head meant those words so the young Champion tried not to stress too hard as he entered the Pokémon Center.

The Nurse Joy of Pewter City was very kind and helpful like all of the other Joys. She received Gill's Pokémon and began work on giving them a quick check-up. She also had one of her Chansey get Gill a room for the night before giving him the space to wander off on his own.

"While you're in town," Nurse Joy said, catching Gill's attention, "you should visit the museum. The Pewter Museum of Science has some wonderful exhibits inside. From all the space exploration and fossils, it is a must see while you're in town."

"Alright, I'll go over there right now!" Gill said, happily thanking the nurse.

The young Champion allowed Nurse Joy to return to her work, while he decided to follow her advice. He did find museums to be mildly interesting, plus there was something in his heart that was hammering at the mention of the museum. He couldn't put his tongue on it, just yet, but he felt something about the museum must've been special. All of his Poké Senses were tingling and were practically screaming some kind of nonsense.

Gill only had to wonder why his body was telling him to hurry to the museum as soon as possible.

* * *

Science had never been one of Gill's best subjects in school, yet he still managed to find the museum to be a little interesting to him. The young Champion entered the museum without too much trouble and he even had the fee waived for him. So that was fifty bucks that Gill got to keep as he explored the wondrous museum for free.

The boy looked around the exhibits, lingering around the ones that he found the most interesting.

Nurse Joy did hit the money when she mentioned the space and fossil exhibits. Those held Gill's attention for the longest period of times.

He saw models of the first spacecrafts that were used to send people and Pokémon out to space. He also read the reports that mentioned the difficulty of sending out spacecrafts due to a Pokémon that resided in the atmosphere. Their first satellites were destroyed by this Pokémon that was rumored to be the Legendary Pokémon of the Ozone, Rayquaza. Defending its territory, it only made sense that Rayquaza would make initial exploration difficult.

Gill scooted past the space exhibits to make his way over to the fossils.

Scattered all over the large room were various fossils of Pokémon and plants from ancient times. A few skeletons were put up for display to show the full body image of these ancient Pokémon. The most prominent of the skeletons being shown were of a Kabutops and an Aerodactyl. The Aerodactyl skeleton wasn't so thrilling since he had already seen a live on in person under Lance's care. He heard that this city's Gym Leader also had two Fossil Pokémon in his possession as well.

This was all pretty cool in Gill's book as he continued to wander around aimlessly in the fossil exhibit. He got to see some fossils that were sent from Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova regions. Their fossils were a little different, but some were similar to the ones native in Kanto and Johto. It only helped to support the continental shift theory.

But that was too much science mojo for Gill to stick into his brain. The Champion felt it was best to keep things simple enough that you were informed and not ignorant. So with that in mind, Gill thought about just what other exhibit he could take off to since he had nothing better to do. Besides, he wanted to take advantage of this free exploration of the museum while he could. Who was to say that someone in charge wouldn't come to their senses and try to charge the Johto Champion?

Gill found his way into an exhibit that had been brought in from Ecruteak City. This particular exhibit focused more on a historical/mythological standpoint instead of a scientific one like the others. He found this one to be exceedingly interesting since it showed images of the Brass and Bell Towers before the fire came that destroyed the Brass Tower.

Some items from the town were brought over, mainly just pottery that were said to have been used to feed the Legendary Pokémon that resided there. Gill knew at once that these were meant for Lugia and Ho-Oh, one he already had the pleasure of meeting and the other he was Chosen to return. The Champion started to walk into another part of the exhibit where he noticed something shinny catch his eyes.

Within a glass box, a white feather was placed upon a red cushion. The tip was colored red and the feather seemed to have a faint shine to it. The feather seemed very strange to Gill, ye familiar to him all at the same time. But that didn't make sense to him though. He didn't think it was possible that it could be "the" feather until he saw the sign.

"The Rainbow Wing," Gill whispered, simply amazed. His hands were practically glued onto the glass as he tried to think of a way to retrieve it. He couldn't just steal it, he was pretty much certain that he'd need special permission.

"I see that you're enjoying our museum, Champion."

Gill nearly jumped out of his skin from the sudden intrusion. The museum had been practically empty so Gill hadn't been expecting anyone else to be there.

Once Gill had got his heart to function properly, he found himself looking back at a pleasant face.

A young man stood behind the Champion with a smile plastered onto his tanned face. His brown hair was a spiky mess that seemed to work very well for him. He wore an orange, v-neck sweater that cut down to show a brown undershirt. He kept it simple with a pair of green cargos that made him appear very relaxed and casual.

For a moment, the Champion had to think about who this young man was before it dawned on him. "You're Brock!" Gill said, happily. "I met you at my coronation party. You're this city's Gym Leader."

"Correct," Brock said, continuing to smile. "I'm honor that you remember me, Champion Gill."

"Please, just call me Gill," said the boy. "There is no need to be so formal."

Brock nodded his head, sealing his agreement with the boy. "Alright then," said the Gym Leader. "So, I was told that you've been exploring our museum. I kinda figured you'd wind up in this exhibit though sooner or later. This does have to deal with the mythology in your home region."

"Myths are facts that haven't been proven true," countered Gill. He pointed at the glass, directly at the Rainbow Wing that was locked away. "This, however, is very much true. Ho-Oh exists and that feather is from the Rainbow Pokémon."

The Gym Leader started to chuckle a bit as he heard Gill go on about Ho-Oh. He had to respect the Champion's dedication to his region's beliefs, but that was pushing it. "Let's not go there, Gill," said Brock. "We are very much aware that Ho-Oh, the Guardian of the Sky, is a legend, along with Lugia, the Guardian of the Sea."

"Lugia is real too!" said Gill. "I saw one in person and so did Champion Cynthia and the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City. If you knew anything about the legend and communicated with your Johto counterparts, you'd know I'm supposed to be the Chosen Trainer who is meant to summon Ho-Oh."

Gill didn't mean to brag or seem angry as he spoke to Brock. Gill just wasn't found of being put down or thought of as being…childish/stupid? He knew that Legendary Pokémon were a tricky subject in the academic and scientific community, mostly because the legends involved the Pokémon either being in hiding or been sealed away. It was hard to prove if they existed or not if they couldn't be found in the first place.

But Brock listened closely to what Gill said and knew by the passion in his voice that the Champion was very much telling the truth. The Gym Leader had a feeling he'd get yelled at this for later, but he had to see if this was true or not. So Brock pulled a key from his pocket then used the master key to unlock the glass case. He retrieved the Rainbow Wing, handing it over to Gill, the Chosen Trainer.

"If the legends are true then you'll need this," Brock said, calmly. "I'm willing to trust you because I tell you have a good heart. You're a lot like the Kanto Champion."

"You know the Kanto Champion?" said Gill.

"I was the first Gym Leader he battled in his rise to Championhood," laughed Brock. "Who was your first Gym Leader?"

"Falkner," said Gill. "I still keep in touch with him too."

"We always remember our firsts," Brock said, smiling as he started to leave the exhibit.

Gill laughed a little, but couldn't find a good comeback for that one. It was very true, we always remembered our firsts. Gill, in particular, remembered Silver for being pretty much his first everything. Silver was his first rival, first kiss, first boyfriend, and the boy gave his virginity to him.

But those were thoughts for another time, Gill focused his thoughts on the Rainbow Wing as he slowly stared to make his way towards the museum's exit.

* * *

Once again, Gill thanked Brock for his kindness before finally making his way back to the city.

It all made sense to him now, just why his body responded to him going to the museum. The Rainbow Wing was what the universe was practically telling him to get his hands on. Not that he understood why since it looked like an ordinary feather. The only thing special about it was that it was white with a red tip that sparkled a little bit in sunlight.

Yet, the young Champion failed to truly understand the importance of the item. Well, only for a moment longer until he heard some panicking in the city.

All of the noise brought Gill's attention back to reality until he saw three blurs racing straight towards him. His body started to tense up, but he managed to relax when he heard a calming voice project itself into his mind. It was a familiar intruder that made Gill suddenly think a bit more on the feather that he held in his hand.

The blurs cleared up until Gill could tell just who they were. In fact, it was the Legendary Beasts that stood before him in the middle of a city. The people who had gathered in terror from these speeding blurs now stood in awe of the trio of Pokémon that stood before the Johto Champion.

Gill felt their three voices sing out in unison with a single word being formed…Ho-Oh.

Without any hesitation on his part, Gill slowly made his approach towards the Legendary Beasts. He got closer to them and chose to climb on Raikou's back. Suicune and Entei stood around their companion and the Chosen Trainer, forming a protective shield almost.

The Legendary Beasts let out a loud howl before springing off to take Gill to where their master was being summoned.

* * *

Riding on the back of Raikou, everything was like a perfect blur as the Legendary Beasts began to speed through Kanto. Their movements were graceful, but their speed never slowed down for even a second.

The trio of beasts finally came to a stop and gave Gill the chance to finally open his eyes. A soft sigh escaped Gill's lips as he finally opened his eyes to see that he was back in Johto. To be precise, The Legendary Beasts had brought him to Ecruteak City.

As Gill started to stand on his own two feet, he started to hear a loud ringing. He never remembered hearing a bell ring the last dozen of times he had been here. Then again, he never had the Rainbow Wing which was needed to summon a Legendary Pokémon from wherever it was hiding.

The presence of the Legendary Beasts didn't go unnoticed just like back in Pewter City. Gill soon found himself in the center of a curious crowd of spectators who watched them all like Pidgeotto. It made the Champion a little nervous, but he kept up his composure as he looked around the town to see where the ringing was coming from.

"I had a feeling that this was your doing." Morty stepped through the crowd and bore a smile on his face as he looked at Gill. The Gym Leader took hold of Gill's hand before using his free hand to point to the Bell Tower. "The tower has been ringing for an hour now. Legend says that when the Bell Tower starts to ring then that means Ho-Oh is returning. All that is needed now is for the Chosen Trainer to reach the top to summon the Rainbow Pokémon."

"Well, today will certainly be an interesting day for me," Gill said, looking up the tall tower.

The Legendary Beasts howled for a moment before taking off for the Bell Tower. They left Gill behind because it was the responsibility of the Chosen to climb the tower on his own. This was yet another test to prove the strength of the Chosen's heart before Ho-Oh could make its return.

Gill gave out a deep sigh as he started to make the long walk to the tower with Morty staying behind for once.

* * *

It was odd, but the autumn colored trees that led the way to the Bell Tower were strange to see in the summer time. Gill tried not to think too much about it as he followed the Bellchime Trail to the entrance of the tower. As the leaves fell around him and the ringing of the bell got louder, Gill felt a strange feeling in his heart. Nothing was hurting, it just had to do with reaching this point in his life.

Never in his wildest dreams did Gill imagine that this Chosen Trainer prophecy deal would ever come true. He half-expected that Morty and the elders were just on some serious drugs. Eusine was the one who made him think that way after nearly killing him all those years ago. But now, here he was, it seemed that they were very much right.

Gill finally made it inside the nine-tier tower with the doors slamming shut behind him.

Giant sculptures of Ho-Oh decorated the first floor. Their purpose was to fill the space with purity and warmth that Ho-Oh was said to represent. It was also there to remind the Chosen Trainer of the grand purpose he had in fulfilling his role in the prophecy. Gill's destiny was to unite the hearts of people and Pokémon, summoning Ho-Oh to the tower was how I would be done.

The brightness of the Rainbow Wing slowly began to grow in strength as Gill made his way towards the stairs. For brief moments, Gill caught glimpses of Suicune, Entei, and Raikou lurking about in the tower. The Legendary Beasts were here to greet their master when the moment came that the Chosen summoned the Rainbow Pokémon from the skies.

Anxious and nervous as heck, Gill ascended the steps to the next floor.

The Champion wandered around every floor, moving through the puzzles that lurked about. Climbing to the top floor was supposed to be another test of the Chosen Trainer. Perseverance was the only way that Gill would be able to summon Ho-Oh and reunite all hearts. The people of Ecruteak City were counting on him to accomplish this as were the Legendary Beasts and even Lugia, the counterpart of Ho-Oh.

It was a lot to put on a fifteen year old's shoulders, but Gill felt confident enough as he climbed higher.

Within two hours, Gill made it to the ninth floor to see a ladder that led to the rooftop. A light sigh escaped the boy's lips as he made his way towards it and started to climb. He was a bit tired, but the adrenaline was starting to course through his body as he listened to the bell grow louder.

Entering the windy domain, Gill took his first steps onto the rooftop where the bell of the Bell Tower rang with all its might. The Rainbow Wing felt hot against Gill's chest as he kept the wing underneath his shirt to prevent himself from losing it. Gill retrieved the feather and watched as the sparkling feather fought its way to freedom from his hand.

Light shinned as the Rainbow Wing floated to the tip of the bell. The ringing of the bell grew completely silent, leaving Gill hearing nothing but the wind blowing against him. A ball travelled down the boy's throat as he looked around to see any sign of Ho-Oh. But there was nothing, just him, standing on top of a roof like an idiot.

"Umm…Ho-Oh?" said Gill. "You out there? I'm here, waiting for you now. Can you like show up soon? It's cold up here and I'm kinda scared that the wind will push me off the roof."

As Gill's words evaporated into the air, there was a slight rainbow that began to take form. Gill squinted his eyes a little to see this faint rainbow and an even fainter dot at the center. That dot slowly grew larger until Gill was able to make out a pair of flapping wings.

That moment, Gill knew that this really was Ho-Oh.

A loud cry ripped through the sky as Ho-Oh drew closer. The Rainbow Pokémon continued to cast its rainbow as it drew nearer to Gill. The Champion was left mesmerized as he saw Ho-Oh perch itself not too far from where he stood.

Up close, Gill was able to see the Legendary Pokémon with his own two eyes. This great, phoenix-bird was dominantly colored red and gold. Yellow tail-feathers trailed behind it with blue talons, it also had a white underbelly, and a layer of green feathers at the tip of his wings. A green stripe circled around its neck, a large yellow beak was on its face, and black rings circled around the red eyes.

Ho-Oh was truly a stunning sight and was truly worthy of being called the Rainbow Pokémon.

The Legendary Pokémon who bore the ability to resurrect the dead stood before Gill. The Chosen Trainer had arrived, which could only mean that the prophecy was about to be fulfilled at long last. Ho-Oh had been waiting a longtime for this day to arrive. Ho-Oh began to spread its large wings as it took to the sky once more.

"_Your final test begins now, Chosen One," _said Ho-Oh. The Legendary Pokémon, like others, spoke through a telepathic bond. Ho-Oh was perfectly able to speak to Gill since the boy was supposed to be his human representation. _"Battle me. Show me the strength of your pure heart."_

Gill knew that there was no point in questioning the large bird. He knew that Silver had to battle Lugia in order to prove his worth. And he fought against Suicune just to get even close to this moment, so Gill was already aware that this would happen.

So Gill took out his Pokéball and released his Dragonite. Since Gill saw Silver use his Weavile to battle against Lugia, Gill felt it was appropriate to use Dragonite for his battle. Weavile was Silver's first Pokémon, his closest companion. For Gill, Dragonite was his first and his bond with her was the strongest.

Ho-Oh would undoubtfully test the bond between Gill and his Pokémon so it only made perfect sense to use Dragonite.

Besides, it was Brock who said you'd always remember your first.

Gill acted very bold, however, as he climbed onto his Dragonite's back. He held onto her thick scales, locking his fingers around them to keep him perfectly secure. It didn't hurt that he knew that Dragonite would never hurt him. However, it was always wise to venture on the cautious size when entering into an aerial battle.

"Take to the sky, Dragonite!" shouted Gill.

Dragonite responded to Gill's command as she flew into the air. Her large wings kept her perfectly steady as she geared up to face off against this Legendary Pokémon.

Ho-Oh seemed to smile as it started to flap its rainbow wings. Ho-Oh returned to his domain in the sky and began to take chase after Gill and his Dragonite. A belt of fire soon escaped from Ho-Oh's beak as it performed a hot Flamethrower.

The Legendary Pokémon started things off by flapping its wings hard to perform a strong Gust attack. The vicious winds tried to bend Dragonite's wings, but even Ho-Oh would find itself having a hard time against Gill's determined Pokémon. The Dragon Pokémon did not seem to be phased at all by Gust as she pushed herself forward.

Dragonite performed Dragon Dance to strengthen her own attack power and speed. She briefly spun around in mid air with Gill continuing to hold onto her back. He never thought of battling with his Pokémon like this, but since this was such an important battle that it seemed like a good idea. Right now though, he was having a bit of motion sickness from all the spinning.

Ho-Oh flew closer to Dragonite, performing Ancient Power. A glowing ball of energy began to take form in front of the Legendary Pokémon which it then smacked with its beak to launch at Dragonite. The sphere of energy was coming dangerously close to Dragonite, however, the dragon managed to move her body out of the danger zone.

Dragonite responded to Ho-Oh's attack by using Dragon Rage. A hot ball of fire began to take form in Dragonite's mouth as she flew closer into range. Dragonite belted out an inferno from her mouth that cut through the skies and managed to hit Ho-Oh's left wing. The Legendary Pokémon cried out briefly before deciding to hit back with Fire Blast.

All the fire that ran through the sky was beginning to make things a little hot for Gill as he craved a bottle of water right about now. He didn't say anything though as Dragonite flew for a head-on collision with Ho-Oh. The two Pokémon were about to make impact when Ho-Oh maneuvered itself out of the way, which Gill quickly had Dragonite exploit.

A fierce stream of water began to circle around Dragonite's tail as she used Aqua Tail. She swung her tail which crashed into Ho-Oh's back, doing a significant amount of damage to the Legendary Pokémon. For a Legendary Pokémon, Gill was feeling a bit cocky as he faced against Ho-Oh.

That moment of arrogance would come back to bite him in the ass, however.

Ho-Oh doubled back around and flew close enough to use a special attack. Dragonite was ready for this as she used another Dragon Dance to boost her strength. That would prove to be her downfall, however, as Ho-Oh performed Punishment. A violet wave of energy escaped from the Legendary Pokémon that crashed directly into Dragonite and Gill.

The ripple of energy was powerful enough to make Dragonite loose her flying equilibrium and to knock Gill off her back. For a moment, Gill screamed in utter terror as he started to fall to his death with his entire life flashing before his eyes.

Gill was expecting this to be the end of his young life when he felt rough scales rub against him. The boy stopped screaming long enough to open his eyes to see that his Dragonite had managed to catch him before he landed on the roof. That fall would've probably killed him, if not then he'd have a lot of broken bones.

"I knew I could always count on you, Dragonite," Gill said, smiling at his Pokémon.

Dragonite seemed to feel the same way as she smiled at her Trainer before returning her sights to Ho-Oh.

While Dragonite was busy saving Gill's life, Ho-Oh was preparing to use its ultimate attack. The Rainbow Pokémon's entire aura began to flash with orange energy as it focused all its might. A stream of mystical fire then poured out from its mouth with the end taking the form of a rose. Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire would prove to be the final attack for this battle, an attack that would put an end to Gill and his Pokémon.

Gill truly expected this to be the end until Dragonite surprised him once again.

Dragonite hovered in the air, "standing" her ground as she prepared to take Ho-Oh's attack. On the contrary, Dragonite was actually concentrating on using the strongest attack that she knew at the time. The antenna on her head began to twitch as she continued to hold onto the frightened Gill in her arms.

Opening up her mouth, Dragonite formed a orange colored sphere of energy. Dragonite was getting ready to use Hyper Beam even as Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire was coming dangerously close. And once Sacred Fire was merely feet away from them, Dragonite released the full power of her Hyper Beam, pouring all her might into this final attack.

Hyper Beam crashed directly against the Sacred Fire, putting up a deadly fight against the opposite attack. For a moment, their two attacks were at a stalemate as they fought for complete dominance. Neither Pokémon relented however as they continued to battle. Ho-Oh continued to pour fire, while Dragonite used her powerful beam.

Eventually, the two attacks just shattered each other apart, releasing a shockwave of energy that knocked both back.

Dragonite turned her back around to protect Gill from the full ripple of the shockwave. She was pushed downward and lost control of her flying abilities until she was extremely close to the tower. And just before her feet touched the roof, Dragonite regained control of herself and managed to make it for a safe landing.

As for Ho-Oh, the Rainbow Pokémon was going down in a way similar to Dragonite. It took but a moment for the Legendary Pokémon to make a recovery as it performed Brave Bird. Fiery, blue energy began to circle around it, empowering Ho-Oh as it moved lower towards the ground. But Ho-Oh stopped itself now that it recovered enough to fly with its own power, using this power to perch itself on the roof of the tower.

"_Congratulations, Chosen," _said Ho-Oh. _"I submit to your might. I felt your compassion for your Pokémon and saw your Pokémon display an equal amount of care for your well-being. I, thereby, respect your talents as a Trainer."_

Gill was finally allowed to stand once Dragonite deemed him worthy of being released. He slowly started to make his way to the Legendary Pokémon with one question on his mind. "What does that mean?" asked Gill. "Why was I Chosen to summon you?" Alright, so he had two questions that he wanted answered.

"_A Chosen was always meant to be born," _said Ho-Oh. _"You are just the one who was born with a heart purer than any other human on this planet. I will therefore share my gifts with the purity of your heart. Together, we shall spread peace and harmony to this world. First though, I must rest. Our battle has exhausted me, but my presence so close to the ground will be more then enough to spread throughout this world. Soon though, I will take flight once more to spread more goodness as you continue your journey."_

"My journey," Gill said, smiling a little. "I don't even know what to do next."

As the words escaped him, Gill felt something painful intrude his mind. He knew at once that it was Ho-Oh forcing thoughts into him, but it was far more painful then when it just spoke. The Legendary Pokémon showed an image to Gill, one that he had seen once before.

Gill saw himself on top of a mountain with a young man standing opposite of him at the summit. They both held Pokéballs in their hands and seemed very much ready to do battle with one another. The image then began to roll down until Gill could tell that this mountain was Mt. Silver. As the mountain disappeared from sight, Gill briefly saw a very small town and quickly noticed Professor Oak for a moment.

Ho-Oh had shown the Champion his next destination before begin to take a rest.

Gill found a smile creep up his face as he thanked Ho-Oh for everything. The Legendary Pokémon appeared to be smiling before closing its eyes. Gill took this as his cue to leave as he climbed on Dragonite's back once more and flew off the tower in style.

And just as Ho-Oh said, goodness began to slowly spread even as the Legendary Pokémon slept to unite the hearts of people and Pokémon.


	32. Chapter 31

**Author's Note: **So we only have one more chapter left that will tie it all together. It's been a heck of a ride and I can't believe that it's almost over. So send your love to me and I'll make sure that the final chapter is extra special. Haha. That's everything I got to say. Read and review!**  
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**Chapter Thirty-One: **

The encounter with Ho-Oh at Ecruteak City pushed Gill into a new direction. Instead of just continuing to roam about as a Trainer, now he had a purpose to keep going forward with. He needed to compete against the Kanto Champion for whatever reason. He couldn't think of an objective that would be set into stone, but he did feel a strong compulsion to battle against the Hero of Kanto.

So Gill took the Magnet Train back to Kanto, arriving in Saffron City where he began to retrace his steps. He went north to Cerulean City only to travel through Mt. Moon to Pewter City once again. He completely skipped stopping in Viridian City, deciding to keep pressing onward until he reached Pallet Town just a little north of the Kanto Ocean.

From what information Gill gathered, Pallet Town was the hometown of the Champion. It was also the same town that Gill's own parents originated from. A popular rumor of Pallet Town was that it always produced the best Trainers in the region, many of which achieving some kind of status amongst Trainers.

Not to mention, Professor Oak hailed from Pallet Town, who was the man that started Champion Red on his Pokémon Journey.

The small town feel of Pallet Town almost reminded Gill of his home back in New Bark Town. The pure, simplicity of the town was heartwarming and even succeeded in making Gill just a little homesick. He wondered how his parents were doing, what mess Lyra had gotten herself into, and how much Kent had grown. Gill had voted against going back home because he did not want to risk losing the drive to continue with the final stretch of his journey.

Pallet Town's fresh breeze began to blow against Gill's pale skin, leaving a flushed boy behind in the process. The chill that crept into the town was a little ominous and made Gill wondered if this was foreshadowing terrible things to come.

Still though, the young Champion couldn't stop his progress now as he made his way to his destination, Professor Oak's laboratory.

On top of a large hill stood an impressive building that was had plenty of full-length windows. It was welcoming to guests and also made the inhabitants feel at ease as they could see the hilly scenery of their town. It certainly was a lot more breathtaking and warm compared to Professor Elm's half-closed laboratory. If only that man could install a few more windows then that would certainly give the place a breath of fresh air.

Gill made his way to the front door, not knowing what to do, decided that knocking was the most polite solution. With his hand, softly beating against the door, Gill heard someone invite him inside. The Champion opened the door and entered the laboratory of the most famous Pokémon Researcher in the entire world.

Since receiving his Champion coronation over a year ago, Gill found himself in the presence of one Professor Oak.

The famous researcher was surprised to see Gill in his lab, but still welcomed the lab with a warm greeting.

* * *

Professor Samuel Oak brought Gill to the lounge that he had set up for his fellow researchers and guests. He worked on bringing them some tea and something to snack on, while Gill waited patient to have his much needed conversation with the professor. It took about ten minutes before everything was settled and the professor sat down to discuss Gill.

The aged professor combed his fingers through his gray hair with his labcoat shifting around in the process. Despite his advanced age, Professor Oak managed to retain a certain air of youthfulness around him. "So, I heard from some colleges in Ecruteak City that you met Ho-Oh," said the professor.

Gill nearly spat his tea out, not because it was gross, because he couldn't believe that the professor knew about Ho-Oh. He figured the only people who would know about Ho-Oh would be Morty, the Kimono Girls, and the city's elders.

"How did you find out?" Gill asked.

A light chuckle escaped the professor's lips as he took a sip of his tea. He placed it back on the table, while straightened himself up. "Let's just say a little Pidgey told me," said the professor. "I'm sure you're not here to discuss about Legendary Pokémon though. Although, I would greatly appreciate hearing this tale. It's not every day that I'm in the presence of the Chosen Trainer."

Once again, Gill was sent into a state of shock as the professor revealed just how much he knew about Gill. He kept that Chosen bit a secret with the exception of those who were well-versed in the mythology of the Johto Pokémon. Even his own family was kept in the dark about that whole ordeal.

"Just how much do you know?" asked the young Champion. "Were you aware of whom I was when you gave me the Pokédex?"

"I didn't know then," confessed the professor. "I only found out after hearing from Professor Elm that you succeeded in hatching the Pokémon Egg. The Kimono Girls of Ecruteak City told me that only a Trainer chosen by the Rainbow Pokémon could hatch that egg." Professor Oak paused for a moment so to take another sip from his tea before biting into his biscuit. The silence was enough to drive Gill mad though as he desperately waited for more details about this.

The professor cleaned his scruffy face up a bit before speaking once again. "I knew the day I met you that you'd be a very special Trainer, Gill Hart," said the professor. "I have an eye for spotting remarkable Trainers. I knew that your father would be going places, I also knew that my own grandson and his rival would make it far. The day we met was no exception, I saw a great deal of potential within you."

"So you're not too surprised to see me now as the Johto Champion?" laughed Gill. "That explains how calmly you took it during my coronation."

"Greatness," laughed the professor. "Now, I'm really wondering the nature of your visit though. What brings you to Pallet Town? Did you just want to visit your parents' hometown or is there something else?"

Gill nodded his head, deciding that Professor Oak already knew all of this then he might as well dig deeper. The Champion told the professor of his battle against Ho-Oh and the vision that the Legendary Pokémon gave to him afterwards. He described in great deal how this wasn't the first time that he foresaw himself on Mt. Silver, battling against the Kanto Champion.

Professor Oak nodded his head, fully understanding just where this would go. He got up from the sofa and went to retrieve his Pokégear from a desk. "I knew that it would only be a matter of time before the Titans of Kanto and Johto would battle. The closeness between our regions would lead to such a great showdown," said Professor Oak. "If you wish to find and challenge Red then you must speak to my grandson, Blue, first."

"See, Blue and Red have been rivals since they were children," explained the professor. "Since Red has gone into seclusion, Blue is the only person in the entire region who knows where Red disappears too. Not even his own mother is aware of where Red is. So, if you wish to find Red then you must find my grandson."

"And where is Blue?" asked Gill.

"He is supposed to be at the Viridian City Gym since he is their leader," said the professor. "However, Blue still loves being a traveling Trainer. He goes all over Kanto and Johto, taking in all of the sights. The last time I heard from him, he was in Cinnabar Island, over forty miles south of Pallet Town. If you hurry then you might find him."

Gill nodded his head and took rise, while thanking the professor for his generosity. Professor Oak didn't mind at all as he watched Gill take off to Cinnabar Island.

* * *

Sailing across the ocean on the back of an aerial Pokémon was completely amazing.

Gill had chosen to use Pidgeot to fly him in the direction of Cinnabar Island. He did enjoy the water, but he honestly rather be flying on the back of a Pokémon right now. So that's how Pidgeot got a decent work-out by flying the five-four boy across the ocean.

It took less time too flying opposed to surfing. So instead of an hour of being stuck in the while, it took almost half the time by flying. Gill had a smile cracked onto his face as he prepared to enter the legendary Cinnabar Island.

From the news reports that Gill read last year, Cinnabar Island had recently been practically destroyed by a volcanic eruption. The burning magma had destroyed everything, forcing the civilians living on the island to relocate to Pallet Town or Fuchsia City. Almost nobody lived there on the island now, and had since become solely a tourist spot.

People from across Kanto and Johto would visit Cinnabar Island to see the island that had been destroyed by fire.

Ironically enough, the island's Gym Leader specialized in Fire-type Pokémon.

Pidgeot landed on the sandy beach of the island where he was soon sent back inside of his Pokéball. Gill stuffed the storage devices into his pocket for the moment, knowing well that he'd need his Pidgeot again for the return trip. He was debating though on just surfing back, but he' figure something out later.

Right now, Gill was only concerning himself with finding Blue and getting the information that he needed on Red. It was practically written in stone that Gill needed to battle against Red since Ho-Oh did show him a vision of it.

And Gill did not feel the need to tick off a Legendary Pokémon.

But on Cinnabar Island, only a far area of nothingness was what greeted him. When Gill got away from the beach, all that was there was plenty of rubble from where the buildings once stood. Dried, hardened lava was also present and did not appear to be hot at all as Gill started his investigation.

Gill needed to find Blue soon since Professor Oak warned him that Blue liked to disappear. Apparently, his grandson was a bit of an adventure but had the attention span of a Sentret, which Gill found to be a little hilarious. However, it also annoyed him since Blue had some major duties because he was a Gym Leader.

Blue was abandoning a lot of his responsibilities for not being close to his Gym, but then again, who was Gill to judge? Gill was the Champion, he could afford more vacation time, but generally Champions didn't leave their regions. So Gill decided it would be best to keep quite with his judgment since he wasn't much better.

Trekking over the hardened magma, Gill saw a figure standing closer inland. A sigh escaped the young Champion as he figured that to be Blue so he kept pushing forward. His footsteps didn't go unnoticed though, causing the stranger to turn around and look back.

When Gill was close enough to see their face, he knew dang well that wasn't Professor Oak's grandson. For starters, this man was much too old to be the professor's grandson, maybe his brother though.

The older gentleman dressed rather casually, in a way that almost looked similar to Professor Oak. Anyways, the man was thin and pale with a long, white mustache on his face. His head was covered by a white and red fedora that he wore also with a white vest and a red long-sleeve. He had on khaki pants. He had a walking stick in his hands that he had to assist him as well as a pair of sunglasses to protect his eyes from the sun's harsh rays.

He watched the young man with a curious glance hidden behind his sunglasses. It was strange for him to see visitors around this time of day, much less two of them.

"And who might you be, young one?" asked the old man.

"My name is Gill Hart, sir," the boy said, respectfully. "I am the Champion of Johto. I'm looking for the Viridian Gym Leader, Blue Oak."

A smile cracked on the old man's face as he stepped closer to Gill. For starters, he knew who the lad was looking for and he was also surprised to see him. "Well, the youngest Champion, the vanquisher of his own father," laughed the old-timer. "It is an honor to meet you, in person, Gill. I am Blaine, I am the former Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island. Now though…I'm more of the Gym Leader of the Seafoam Islands."

"I'm sorry about what happened to the island," Gill said. "It really was a great tragedy."

"Yes it was," Blaine said, nodding his head. "Fortunately, nobody was injured or killed during the eruption. Everyone was safely evacuated from the island, both people and Pokémon. Thank the Heavens for that."

Blaine lost track of thought for a moment when he quickly remembered the Champion's purpose for being on the island. It was such a shame that the quiz master had lost that sharpness since losing his precious Gym. "Ah, you said you were looking for Blue, correct?" asked the Gym Leader.

"I did," Gill said, hoping that Blaine had good news.

"Well, I'm sorry to say that you just missed him," said Blaine. He noticed the disappointed frown that started to form on the boy's face. Now, they couldn't have any of that. Champions were supposed to be the pride of a region, not sad faced boy. "He and I did have a nice chat though before he left. He said he was returning to the Viridian Gym since he had some work to do there. I don't know what, but it seemed pretty important by the way he was in a hurry."

Now that was good news. Sucked that he came here for nothing, but Gill couldn't complain too much now that he knew where Blue was.

"Thank you very much for your help, Blaine," Gill said, cheerfully. "I must be going now."

"Take care of yourself, Champion," Blaine said, while waving the boy off.

* * *

So Gill decided to take the high road and fly back to Pallet Town to start his walk to Viridian City. In a way, he felt like he was beginning his journey all over again as he stepped into his father's initial footsteps. Pallet Town was the beginning of Victor Hart's journey so it almost felt like Gill was getting a second chance as he crossed the fields of Route 1.

This was the Route that many Trainers began their journey through Kanto in, so in a way, Gill was embracing that tradition.

Only his situation was vastly different. Gill wasn't going to begin his journey to battle the Kanto Gym Leaders, he was going to face their Champion. This was going to be Gill's final test as both a Trainer and Champion.

The bright greenness of the evergreen city mixed with its tall buildings made Viridian City look quite grand. Gill looked around to see all of the bright lights that slowly began to illuminate themselves on by one. It was already approaching sunset by now, which meant Gill would have to move with haste to make it to the Gym before closing.

He glanced at his watch, seeing that he had only thirty minutes to find the Gym before it was closed for the night.

The young Champion took to running in order to find the Viridian Gym, which was located at the heart of the city. He passed by plenty of buildings and other various attractions before reaching the sight that he was looking for.

The Gym appeared grand, almost a smaller version of the Indigo Plateau that was to the west. A small fountain was built at the front of the Gym that spouted water from the cannons of the Blastoise. As for the earthy-orangeish colored Gym, well, it was just a stunning sight. Gill wouldn't expect anything else from the final test of the Kanto Trainers who sought to obtain their Earth Badge.

But with all those pretty thoughts aside, Gill pushed himself onward so that he could have his much needed conversation with Blue.

* * *

The inside of the Viridian Gym was like a massive coliseum from the way that Gill interpreted it. The young Champion journeyed deeper inside of the Gym, hoping that he wasn't too late to have a talk with Blue. He really needed to find out where the Kanto Champion was before even the Champion decided to take off to places unknown.

As Gill wandered further in, the lights at the center of the Gym came on at full blast. The Champion was temporarily blinded by this sudden, bright light, but he still wandered closer to the arena. Usually when stuff like that happened, it meant that something very big was coming. With any luck that meant that Gill would finally have his meeting with Blue.

However, what really happened was that three Pokéballs were thrown into the arena. The Pokémon emerged from them and gave out a ferocious warning as the young Champion approached. Gill paused as he scanned each with his Pokédex and learned that he was facing an Arcanine, a Rhyperior, and a Machamp.

Gill already knew where this was going, but he waited until their Trainer stepped forward.

A young man showed up, moving from behind his Pokémon to greet his guest. His orange-red hair was picked up in a set of spikes that really made his pale skin look quite handsome. He was fairly lean with his black, pilot jacket and cargo pants really complimenting his form. Part of his smooth chest was partly exposed as well as he had the zipper about halfway down.

There was a cocky grin plastered onto his face as he stood before the Johto Champion. "So my gramps told me that you were looking for me," said the young man. "Sorry I skipped town on you, but clearly Blaine gave you the heads-up so it wasn't too dramatic of a loss. Now, Champ, you ready to play with the big boys?"

"I'm just here to find Red," said Gill. "Professor Oak told me you knew where he was."

"And Red doesn't think you're ready to face him yet," said Blue. "I had a nice talk with him during your Championship match against your father. Red wants to battle you, but he needs you to prove yourself first. If you can defeat me in a three-on-three match then you'll be ready to face Red. Even after all these years, Red still takes my skills as a Trainer very highly."

The Gym Leader snapped his fingers, signaling his Machamp to move up.

"Fine then," Gill said, taking out a Pokéball. He chose to use Togekiss for this battling, feeling like she'd have the power to take Machamp down.

Togekiss flew around the arena for a minute, stretching her wings out before coming for a landing. Blue told his Machamp to show no mercy. Machamp went charging after Togekiss, which led to her taking to the sky to avoid getting smacked by Machamp's four fists.

The muscular Pokémon nearly managed to pummel Togekiss with his fists, but Togekiss was agile enough to avoid the attack.

Machamp hated being so easily outdone by a weaker Pokémon. A group of stones began to dance circles around him, which he then launched as a vicious attack. Stone Edge flew across the arena and started to fly after Togekiss. It caused Togekiss to start flying as quickly as she could, hoping to avoid getting hit, but Stone Edge continued to follow her around.

It was like she had a tracker on her.

The sharp stones were right on her tail and would've gotten her had Gill not figured out something to save her skin. He told her to use Psychic in order to get rid of Stone Edge's trail. Togekiss's eyes gained a pale glow as an aura surrounded her body, which she used to redirect Stone Edge back towards Machamp.

This time, the sharp stones crashed against Machamp, doing some nasty damage against him. However, that still wasn't enough to stop Blue and his Pokémon from fighting. Blue had Machamp attack with a second Stone Edge, even though he was well aware that Gill could redirect it if he so chose.

Stone Edge followed after Togekiss again and Gill had Togekiss strike with Psychic once more. With the stones under her control, Togekiss redirected the attack back at Machamp, but this time would fail at laying a hurting. Machamp stood his ground for a moment before using Dynamic Punch against his own attack, causing a psychic whiplash to occur.

The sudden devastation snapped at Togekiss, hitting her with a strong force as her Psychic focus was completely shattered. She went down for a rough landing, much to Gill's surprise, while Blue had a smirk on his face. Machamp was going in for the kill now, using Dynamic Punch once more to put an end to Togekiss.

Fortunately for Gill, Togekiss still had some strength left in her. Togekiss got on the tips of her toes and prepared to attack with an Air Slash. She used up the last of her strength to fire a strong, blade of wind at Machamp just as Machamp was using his Dynamic Punch against her. Their two attacks crashed into one another, triggering a ripple effect that sent them both sailing across the arena.

Gill and Blue watched as their Pokémon landed on the ground, witnessing that they had both lost the first round. So this round ended in a tie, the Trainers returned their Pokémon into their Pokéball to get a well-deserved rest.

Next, Blue chose to send his Rhyperior out to battle against Gill. The fully evolved form of Rhyhorn was a giant, gray skinned Pokémon with orange stones decorated all over his skin. His viciously, sharp horn rested above his nose, making this particular Pokémon look extra aggressive.

Gill knew the only way to win this round was to attack with the advantage and not with pure muscle. He chose Poliwrath to handle things, which seemed like a wise decision since Rhyperior was a Ground and Rock-type. His Water Pokémon should be more than enough to handle dealing with that giant.

Rhyperior tried to end Poliwrath at the very beginning by smashing his fists into the ground. This triggered powerful seismic shocks that made it difficult for Poliwrath to remain standing. Gill wouldn't allow this to throw him off his game, however, despite his own lack of balance. The young Champion attempted to put an end to this by having Poliwrath use Water Gun against the giant rock.

The blast of water was powerful enough to get Rhyperior to cease the quaking. It still wasn't enough to get Poliwrath to win this match.

The horn on Rhyperior's head began to spin in a wild manner as he started to charge through the Water Gun. Megahorn was chosen to be Rhyperior's next attack, which would do some serious damage if it made contact with Poliwrath. But as the giant rock got closer, Gill geared up to spring his fatal trap.

"Hydro Pump!" Gill shouted at Poliwrath.

Blue was surprised to hear this and tried to get Rhyperior to get out of the way. It was too late however as Poliwrath took a very deep breath. In just a second, Poliwrath gunned out a heavy blast of water from his mouth that crashed into Rhyperior with a remarkable amount of force. The heavy damage that was done against him was more than enough to defeat Poliwrath's opponent as the force of the impact pushed Rhyperior back towards Blue.

With his second Pokémon gone, all Blue had left was his trusty Arcanine. As much as Blue hated to admit it, he was actually impressed by Gill's battling skills. He knew that this boy would make a remarkable challenge for his buddy Red.

"That still won't be enough," Blue said, softly. He sent Arcanine forward, letting him to go off on his own and face Poliwrath. The wolf-like Pokémon was covered in thick, orange fur with black stripes along his figure. However, a bit of light, cream colored hair also showed around various parts of his body, making this Pokémon look extra intimidating.

Gill tried to get Poliwrath to take out Growlithe's fully evolved form by using Hydro Pump once again. The gallons of heavy water should've been more than enough to take out Arcanine, but there was no way that Arcanine would lose so easily.

Arcanine took to charging with a remarkable amount of speed wrapping around his body. He used Extreme Speed to boost up his speed to attack with a powerful strike. Gill wondered just what Blue was planning as Poliwrath attempted to hit Arcanine with the water, only to miss.

Arcanine was no viciously close to where Poliwrath was. He was plenty close enough to do some serious damage, which is exactly what he did. Electricity began to spark from his fangs as he sank his teeth into Poliwrath to use Thunder Fang against him. The powerful bite of electricity proved to be way too much for Poliwrath, easily beating him, leaving Gill with one Pokémon as well.

Gill recalled his beaten Pokémon, knowing that he had only one chance left. He had his trump card ready though as he decided to send out his Dragonite. His large dragon would prove to be more than enough to fight against Arcanine.

The two, pseudo-Legendary Pokémon were charging after one another.

Arcanine tried to sink his fangs into Dragonite, using Thunder Fang once again. Dragonite, however, held her opponent back with her sturdy frame. She pushed her opponent aside and swatted at him with her heavy tail.

The weight of her tail managed to send Arcanine flying back, but the Pokémon managed to land safely on his paws. Arcanine took to charging after Dragonite once more, but this time his entire form was covered in a fiery aura. As Arcanine prepared to use Flare Blitz, Gill had to figure out a way to avoid getting hit and exploiting the whiplash of Arcanine's attack.

The fiery attack was nearing Dragonite and would leave her doomed to being beaten like Gill's other Pokémon. Not that he'd allow such a thing to happen as he told Dragonite to get out of the way then double back with Aqua Tail.

A tide of water circled around Dragonite's tail as she jumped up just as Arcanine got exceptionally close. Now that Arcanine had missed, the whiplash effect didn't hit Arcanine, but it still left him completely vulnerable. So Dragonite swung her watery tail around and it cracked directly into Arcanine's side, doing a significant amount of damage.

Arcanine's eyes lit up for a moment before he went crashing down to the ground, left unable to battle.

Blue nodded his head, accepting his defeat as he recalled his beaten Pokémon. He briefly began to applaud the young Champion for his victory. "Well, good show," said the Gym Leader. "A promise was a promise though, I'll tell you where Red is."

Gill recalled his Pokémon and listened very closely to what Blue had to say.

The Gym Leader approached Gill, getting close to his side. He leaned over to the Champion and told exactly where to find Red. "Go past the Indigo Plateau until you reach Mt. Silver," said Blue. "Climb the summit and you shall find Red there, waiting to battle against you. I will warn you now, do not hold back. Red will not go easy on you, no matter what."

The Champion took what Blue had to say and thanked him for everything as he started to leave the Viridian Gym. As for Blue, he watched as Gill left with a grin on his face.

"Red's going to have a lot of fun with this one."


	33. Chapter 32

**Author's Note: **TEAR! I was listening to Michelle Branch's "Goodbye to You" while reading this. I'm so sad to say that My Heart and Your Soul is offiically done now the moment I post this and switch it to complete. It was a fun right, writing this story for you guys. I'm totally drained. Writing a Pokemon fic is a little more difficult then I expected it to be, but no matter how difficult it got, I would go read some reviews to motivate myself to keep on writing for you guys. Well, this final chapter is for all of you. Especially to Timberstar who said she'd spread the good word. Haha. Also, this is for Kittygirl, my former beta. Thanks for the help back in the beginning. That's all that needs to be said so enjoy the final chapter of My Heart and Your Soul. As always, read and review.**  
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**Chapter Thirty-Two:**

It would've been reckless and stupid of Gill to take off for Mt. Silver considering how late it was by now. When he left the Viridian Gym, it was already past eight o'clock so being out any later would be risking the safety of the young Champion. Not to mention, he did have Pokémon that were tired that included his battle team and his flight-drained Pidgeot. It would be unfair to put them through a long journey without giving them time to rest.

So Gill decided it would be wise for them all to catch some zs at the Pokémon Center. They would all need to be at their best for tomorrow when he'd start climbing up Mt. Silver. Gill had already checked his map, seeing that Mt. Silver was not too far away from Viridian City. In fact, it was just passed the Indigo Plateau, which was right outside of Viridian City.

At the Pokémon Center, Gill had the Nurse Joy take care of his team while he got his room for the night. He climbed up to the third floor and went into his room, locking the door up behind him before stripping out of his clothes. Every layer he had on was discarded and left on the floor as he started to crawl into the bed, embracing the cold air that blew in.

The young Champion closed his eyes and allowed his weariness to overwhelm him.

Ignoring the usual bazaar dreams of his, Gill dreamt of his coming journey to Mt. Silver. He saw himself scaling up the mountain to where the Kanto Champion was waiting for him. What Blue had said about Red wanting to battle against him for sometime was a little strange to Gill. If the Kanto Champion really wanted to battle then he wouldn't have waited for so long. Then again, who was Gill to judge a fellow Trainer/Champion who sought to improve his technique?

It was through his own quest for strength that Gill challenged his own father and became the undisputed Champion of Johto.

When the morning sun had risen up into the sky, the hazel-eyed boy began to awaken into reality. He rubbed the crud from his eyes before prying himself up from the mattress with the covers falling off his naked backside. The boy did a quick walk to the shower, ridding himself of the sweat and dirt that had consumed his flesh.

Once he felt adequately clean, Gill dressed and went on to make his final preparations. He got some food to eat to satisfy his rumbling tummy before checking on his Pokémon with Nurse Joy. She gratefully returned his team back to him, informing the young Champion that they were all in excellent shape. That was exactly what Gill wanted to hear, considering he was about to face the Kanto Champion.

The ding of the doors said their farewell to Gill as he began the final stretch of his journey.

Gill would've been halfway to Mt. Silver by now if he hadn't seen someone that greatly caught his attention. For a long moment, Gill had paused himself to look forward to see that Silver was nearing the Pokémon Center. This wasn't exactly what Gill expected to see when he woke up this morning, but he couldn't deny that he was unhappy to see Silver's face.

The same could be said about Silver who bore a soft grin on his face. Silver kept on strolling towards where Gill was standing before the dark haired boy decided to spring into a run. Gill threw himself at Silver, wrapping his thin arms around his neck, while Silver caught his waist.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you!" Gill said through tears.

"I know, and I'm sorry for leaving you like that," Silver said, apologizing. "I can assure you though, I won't leave again. If you're willing to take me back then I promise that I won't leave your side again."

"You'd better keep that promise," Gill said, brushing away his tears. He looked into Silver's eyes, seeing the sincerity behind those gray eyes. From there, Gill accepted Silver's apology with a light kiss on the lips.

They shared one another's warmth for a moment, before breaking apart to stand separately.

Gill held his hand out to Silver, which the red head took without even a second of hesitation. This time, Silver would do the following for a change. He trusted that Gill knew exactly what he was doing as he followed the trail that the Champion had kicked up.

Gill didn't care where Silver had disappeared to or how he even found him.

All that mattered was that they were together once again. And this time, nothing would ever break them apart from each other. That was a promise that Gill would make to himself even as he resumed the journey to Mt. Silver.

* * *

Even in their silence, everything was simply wonderful as Gill and Silver walked together with their hands interlocked. Fingers and palms touching one another with a tight grip on the other, Gill and Silver had passed the road to the Indigo Plateau in order to go towards Route 28. This was the final Route of Kanto before reaching Mt. Silver, which, oddly enough, belonged strictly to Johto.

The geographical landmark was the dividing line between two regions, which gave it a great responsibility, in a sense.

They were getting very close to the mountain now that Red waited for the Johto Champion on top of. Silver wasn't so sure about this, but he kept his mouth shut about it since he knew damn well that Gill's mind was made up. There was going to be a battle on this day, one that only the three of them would ever know the results of.

No question that today's battle would be kept a secret. Only the strongest of Trainers were allowed into Mt. Silver due to the powerful and rare Pokémon that lurked about. It took special clearance for these Trainers to even be allowed to set foot there. Since Gill was the Champion, he was easily allowed to venture to the mountain and even served as a supporter for Silver's talents.

As they neared the base of the mountain, Gill paused for the moment. Silver stopped walking so to wait until Gill accomplished what he needed to do. There was no point in rushing the Champion into this mess, Red had already spent knew how long training on the mountain, a little longer wouldn't kill him.

Gill embraced the strong, mountain air with his eyes closing up in the process. He stood at the tips of his toes and knew that he'd need to change into something warmer for the climb. He'd have to put on a long-sleeve and at least a sweater with a pair of pants. His t-shirt and shorts wouldn't keep him warm enough for this climb.

Thinking about his clothes made Gill turn to Silver to see that the red head was a bit better dressed for the occasion. It was almost as if he knew that they'd be making this climb today ahead of time.

Gill broke away from Silver's hand for a moment before he closed his eyes once more. It would be a long while before this fight with Red would be over with. Then Gill had no idea would know what he'd do, despite winning or losing the battle. He'd probably go home or go off on some other random journey.

But right now though, Gill felt that he really needed to be with Silver. In his heart, it was practically screaming at him to be with Silver for this moment. His heart was screaming these words to him, which is when Gill took the plunge and listened to his young, foolish heart.

The boy pushed his lips against Silver's forcing them to be locked against each other. No words had to be said either, Silver quickly understood what Gill wanted and needed. In fact, Silver was in need of feeling Gill's body against his own, especially everything that he had gone through. Between the Celebi experience, his father's suicide, and his disappearance; Silver was in a great deal of need of feeling Gill's constant love and devotion.

Despite the cold, Silver and Gill removed every article of clothing in a great deal of haste. Soon, a small pile began to pool around their feet until they stood completely naked as the day they were born, just outside of Mt. Silver. Their naked bodies were in perfect harmony with nature as they soon went down to the grassy earth where they'd make love.

As odd and sudden as this was, both of them knew this is how it was supposed to happen. Their entire relationship was odd and shouldn't work, but here they were. Still together and still very much in love with each other. Gill and Silver defied all logic together, total opposites of the other, yet they were perfect for each other.

Silver supported himself with his knees and elbows, keeping himself from completely crushing Gill with his body weight. Gill was flat on his back with his arms locked around Silver's shoulders as he kept his lips against those of his lover's. Their kissing seemed to go on for ages, while their erections would continue to rub against one another.

The coming chills of wind that blew from the mountain and their own sexual urges made them both quiver in anticipation.

Gill, in preparation of this, moved his legs around so that they were around Silver's waist. He lifted his lower regions up a little higher, while Silver started to slowly press his weight against the young Champion. Silver did this until he was perfectly against Gill's being with the heat of their love keeping them warm as the cool wind would blow against their exposed, nude forms.

Silver slicked on finger with the pool of pre-cum that was leaking out from the two of them. He used the single digit to insert inside of Gill, taking a few moments to prepare his young lover. Although, Gill could probably, easily, accept Silver's full length, a good top always took care of the bottom he was about to penetrate.

So until Silver felt that Gill was well prepared, he continued to use his fingers to tease and excite Gill's lower quarters. It was when Silver bumped into the prostate nerves that he knew that Gill was plenty ready. He removed his finger then inserted his full length inside of Gill, causing them both to cry out with a sudden wave of pleasure.

Gill clung onto Silver with all his limbs, pulling Silver closer to his flesh. The heat of their bodies kept one another warm as Silver would constantly thrust in and out of Gill. He never completely pull out, but Silver took enough of himself out to really hammer inside of the young Champion. The prostate was continuously stimulated, sending constant vibrations that caused Gill's erection to leak with sperm.

Their timing soon became harmonized as Silver continued his thrusting as Gill attempted to meet the thrust in the middle. The sensations that were brought from the sexual tension and the quivering of the muscles was nearly too much for the overly due couple. Their long departure from one another caused this reunion to come to a close much quicker than usual.

Releasing their loads at the same moment, Silver and Gill reached a climax with heavy moans escaping their throats as bliss soon overtook them both.

* * *

Mt. Silver was truly a sight to behold though.

Although, not one of the tallest or coldest of mountains in the world, it certainly was a special one. Years ago, Johto had their own League that was separate from Kanto where Trainers would compete against the Elite Four there. The League was destroyed though in a terrible snowstorm though, forcing Johto to merge with the Kanto Elite Four. Since then, the Silver Conference had been snuffed out of existence, left behind in only the pages of history.

Gill and Silver wandered into the mountain's caves, after dressing into warmer clothes. The damp cave had a slight chill to it, but it was nothing that they couldn't handle. The couple stayed close to one another, keeping an eye out to ensure their safety. Mt. Silver wasn't a dangerous mountain with the exception of the hostile Pokémon that lurked about. Still though, caution was always necessary when climbing a mountain and exploring its caverns.

Leaving the cold, damp cavern behind them, Gill and Silver finally made it to the mountain side that bore a path that led directly to the summit. At least, that's what it looked like from where they were. So the best way to find out if that was the way they were supposed to go was just to get on exploring and climb the damn thing.

The hilly path bore plenty of fresh grass that had a slight layer of frost over them. Snow could be seen further above them, which mean that a lot more caution was necessary. It baffled Gill that Johto Trainers would risk their own lives to climb this crazy mountain peak just to battle the former Elite Four. And here he thought the walk through Victory Road was a pain in the ass. This mountain climbing shit made it look like a stroll through the park.

Silver helped Gill up a rockier path, keeping a firm grip on the boy's hand as he hauled him up a bit. Gill's feet touched the ground once more, which made the boy feel at ease as he kept on following the trail up to where Red was waiting for him.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask," Gill speaking against the wind, "where did you run off to? I understand that there were things you needed to take care of since our time travelling experience, but what did you do exactly? Where were you?"

Silver knew that this question was going to rear its ugly head sooner or later. He did disappear on Gill for a few days so it was only fair that the Champion knew where he went. "I had to see for myself if it was true or not," Silver said, calmly. "I went to Tohjo Falls to see if there was any sign of my father." He stopped walking and turned back to face Gill who had a slightly surprised look on his face. "I had to know if he was really dead or not."

"And what did you find out?" Gill asked.

"There were traces of his camp still there," said Silver. "I also saw his Pokéballs were broken, which meant his Pokémon were released. His fedora was still there too. I didn't find a body though so I went through some news records, trying to see if there was any evidence of that."

"Was there any?"

Silver nodded his head as they started to near the snowy peak. With every step that they took, they drew closer to the snow. "Police found a body floating by the waterfall," said Silver. "They couldn't identify him, but their description was a perfect match. My father is dead and buried; Giovanni Sol is gone from this earth."

"That's…umm…good," Gill said, softly.

"Very good," Silver said, taking Gill's hand. "I'm free of the dark cloud that has been making my life miserable. Giovanni was never a good dad; he was just a sperm donor to me. Now, I don't have to worry about him ever coming back into my life. I can finally focus on what matters most to me."

"What?" Gill asked.

"You."

Silver kissed Gill just as the first bit of snow began to fall on their heads as they reached the summit of the mountain.

* * *

At the very peak of Mt. Silver, Gill saw himself approaching his final test as a Trainer. He silently pulled himself away from Silver to see the small arena that laid in a state of ruins atop the mountain. His boots guided him across the crunchy snow until he reached the arena to see that somebody else was present, waiting for the Champion for a long time.

Even from across the arena, their eyes met and soon became locked upon their opponent.

Neither one bothered to say a single word as Gill stepped to his end of the ring. The sun continued to shine above their heads even though it was nearing evening. But the coming night was not a concern for either one of them. There was nothing in this world that could stop what was meant to come to pass.

Red Ketchum, the Kanto Champion, bore a soft smile on his face as the Johto Champion was finally ready to face him. The twenty year old straightened himself out, dusting off the snow from the bright, blue pants that he wore. Above that was a red-collared vest that he had over a black, long-sleeved shirt and a hat on top of his spiky, brown hair. His soft, brown eyes were a thing of beauty, which made many women and men find themselves attracted to the Champion.

Gill didn't find himself so easily swayed as he stood there, Pokéball in hand.

"I'm glad that you didn't keep me waiting for too long," said Red. "I knew that I'd be seeing you soon enough, but Blue failed to mention that you were coming right away."

"There was no point in dragging it out," Gill said, calmly. "We were meant to have a battle for a longtime now."

Red couldn't have said it any better himself as he took out his own Pokéball. He held it in his hand, his fingers touching the containment device that housed his Pokémon. "Are you ready to battle me?" asked Red. "I want us to have a grand battle, which means seven against seven. The winner will be decided with the last Pokémon standing."

"Sounds fair enough," Gill told Red. "Let's battle!"

The two Champions released their Pokémon without thinking or any hesitation at all. The first Pokémon chosen by each were Red's Snorlax and Gill's Ursaring. Oddly enough, that was a very good way to begin the match. These two, colossal Pokémon both bore a high offensive and defensive power, but neither one was very fast.

Red's giant Snorlax was half-asleep as he rubbed his fat tummy. The creamy tummy and face contrasted against the blue fur around the rest of his body. While Gill's Ursaring stood proud and strong as she belted out a ferocious roar that really woke up Snorlax.

Red called for his Snorlax to begin things by using Rollout. The Sleeping Pokémon curled his body up into a round ball and started to roll across the arena with power rushing out through his being. The Rollout was going straight for Ursaring, picking up speed and power with every inch closer that it got.

Gill and his Ursaring weren't afraid though as Gill told Ursaring to use Focus Punch. She clenched her fist up into a tight ball, building up strength just as Snorlax was getting dangerously close. Once Snorlax was within range, Ursaring threw her fist forward, unleashing the full power of her punch. Her attack crashed into Snorlax, releasing a ripple effect as their two attack impacted against each other.

Ursaring and Snorlax were pushed for back, but neither Pokémon had submitted to the injuries sustained. Snorlax was coming back after Ursaring again, this time using a Body Slam. Throwing his full weight into this attack as he leaped into the air, Snorlax attempted to crush Ursaring with all his might.

Body Slam would've crushed Ursaring too had she not moved out of the way at the last, possible second. The shockwave that came from the impact made her legs a little shaky, but it was nothing that she couldn't recover from. So Ursaring then used Fury Swipes while Snorlax was left at this vulnerable state. Her sharp claws slashed against the skin of Snorlax, repeatedly, doing quite a bit of damage.

Snorlax broke free from this cycle though and bore a very angry look on his face too. He pushed Ursaring back until she fell down, which is when he exploited the opportunity to use his strongest attack. Red knew where this was going as he called for Snorlax to attack with a Giga Impact. Gill had known what this move could potentially do as he called for Ursaring to get out of the way.

Meanwhile, Snorlax began to build up an energy field of yellow and orange. Once that was built up enough, purple energy began to swirl as Snorlax started moving in a rapid speed that was very unnatural to him. Giga Impact created an empowering amount of energy that Snorlax used to against his opponent.

Ursaring didn't have a chance to escape and soon suffered from the full effect of Giga Impact. She was blown across the arena, landing outside of the ring where she fell into an unconscious state. All her energy was depleted, thus making Red the winner of this round.

Gill knew that Snorlax would have to recharge after using such a powerful attack though. So he knew that he needed to send out someone powerful enough to end Snorlax with one blow. He recalled his Ursaring then sent out his Togekiss to save the day. He knew what she was capable of so he had the utmost faith in her.

"Togekiss, I need you to use Aura Sphere!" shouted Gill. "Hit Snorlax with everything you got!"

Togekiss obeyed her Trainer's command without the slightest bit of hesitation. Her entire body began to get consumed by a blue aura as she flew around in circles. Slowly, an orb of blue light took form above her head which she then broke away from. Smacking her powerful wings against the orb, Togekiss launched her Aura Sphere that zoomed across the arena until it exploded against Snorlax.

Aura Sphere did exactly what Gill was hoping for. With Snorlax vulnerable, Aura Sphere laid out a critical hit, while exploring the type advantage. Snorlax landed on his back, completely out of it as his own strength was gone.

Red had no regrets as he recalled Snorlax then sent out his next Pokémon, Blastoise. Gill was more than familiar with this particular Pokémon, considering that it was his father's first Pokémon. Gill knew that he'd be ready for this one as Red started things by having Blastoise use Hydro Pump.

The gallons of heavy water zoomed into the air and was heading straight for Togekiss. Using her speed to her advantage, Togekiss flew out of the target zone, missing getting hit with Blastoise's attack. She then made a dive-bomb-like maneuver as she flew close towards Blastoise. Gill had her use Sky Attack.

Togekiss's body began to glow with a white aura as she flew closer to her opponent. A stream of white light trailed behind her as well as she approached dangerously close to Blastoise. Red and his Pokémon attempted to exploit this by using Hydro Pump once again. With the water blasting towards her, Togekiss pushed more power into her attack as she began to slice through the water, still taking damage though, until she made impact.

Blastoise struggled to stay standing for a moment there, where he ended up dropping to his knees and hands. Togekiss, meanwhile, was flying away from the danger zone to assess the damage that she took from the Hydro Pump. It wasn't much, but it was enough for her to send out a cautious signal to Gill, which he got right away.

Still though, Blastoise had taken plenty of damage, meaning that Gill would have to use his trump card. He told Togekiss to use Metronome, hoping that the randomly selected attack would be enough. Togekiss briefly began to spin around until her eyes began to glow, which she then kept to flying in the air.

Red attempted to put a stop to this by telling Blastoise to use Hydro Cannon. The exceptionally, powerful Water-type attack began to shoot from the cannons on his shoulders. With the water running, Togekiss needed to strike fast, which she did. Lucky enough for her, the move that was used turned out to be Protect. So a green shield appeared in front of her, neutralizing the enemy attack, despite the overwhelming amount of power.

Blastoise was now left completely vulnerable to attack as he had to recharge. So Gill and Togekiss tried using Metronome one more time, hoping to get something good. As Blastoise tried to make a quick recovery, Togekiss began to use the selected move. Her entire body became consumed in electricity as she belted out a powerful Thunderbolt at Blastoise.

The rippling surge of electricity crashed into Blastoise, doing a significant amount of damage against him. Blastoise took the full attack due to his vulnerability, meaning that his fight was over. Blastoise was beaten and Togekiss was nearly out of strength too, something that Red would really exploit in the next round.

Moving onto his next Pokémon, Red selected to use his own Espeon. His Psychic-type entered the stage with a calming aura surrounding his purple furry body. The red gem on his forehead stated to sparkle as he wasted no time in attacking. Red grinned as he quickly saw Espeon use Psychic against Togekiss.

The psychic aura began to wrap around Togekiss, which led to her being forcefully dragged down to the ground. Upon impact, Togekiss got hit with a devastating crash as well as being knocked around a bit by Psychic. Togekiss struggled to stand up at least, even if she couldn't immediately take to the sky. But Espeon prevented this by firing a starry Swift from his mouth, using the stars to put an end to Togekiss's battling.

Gill recalled his beaten Togekiss then replaced her with Umbreon. He had a good feeling about his Dark-type, especially due to his immunity from Psychic attacks. Red knew that and found himself glaring as he told Espeon to focus on using Swift.

Espeon fired the barrage of stars at Umbreon, who easily avoided the incoming attack. Umbreon started to charge towards Espeon with fangs out as he prepared to use a nasty Crunch. Red and Espeon attempted to avoid this by using Mud Slap. Espeon dug his paws into the ground and began to kick up some dirt that crashed into the incoming Moonlight Pokémon.

The Sun Pokémon was spared from a significant amount of damage. He then charged up towards his counterpart and attempted to put an end to him by using Swift from a close range. But Gill and Umbreon were expecting such a move. Umbreon shook off the dirt from his eyes then snuck underneath Espeon to use tackle on him. With that bit of damage laid out, Umbreon then bore his fangs once again then used Crunch to get Espeon.

Red felt stupid for falling for that trick as he saw his Espeon being defeated by the Johto native. He recalled his Pokémon then decided to really turn up the heat in this place. He chose to send out Charizard, knowing that his ferocious dragon could handle things.

The Flame Pokémon emerged from the Pokéball and took his place in the battlefield. Red simply told him to do Rock Smash, which Charizard did without hesitation. His fist began to glow as he flew towards his opponent, delivering a devastating blow to Umbreon. With a single hit, Charizard's high attack power knocked Gill's Umbreon out.

Gill was left with only a few of his Pokémon left, while Red had even less. Gill had to keep things in his favor so he decided on using his own dragon. Dragonite was sent out from her Pokéball to enter the battlefield. Dragonite soon found herself getting locked into combat with Charizard as they hooked claws with one another.

The two dragons tried to overwhelm each other, but their strength was a little too much for that. So Red decided to exploit their closeness by using Flamethrower against Dragonite. A belt of fire began to roar out from Charizard's mouth, which Dragonite would've been scorched with. Gill had Dragonite counter this though by using Water Pulse against Charizard. A wave of water escaped from Dragonite's mouth and met Charizard's Flamethrower, which cancelled each other out.

Charizard broke their grip on each other then attempted to swipe Dragonite away by swinging his tail around. His fiery tail managed to leave a bit of a scorch against Dragonite's scaly flesh, but she didn't think too much of it. She simply threw her fist at Charizard, punching her opponent across the face. Charizard's long neck felt a bit of that pain as his draconic head was pushed to the side.

The fiery dragon bore no mercy as he fired another stream of heavy fire from his mouth. This second Flamethrower began to burn the ground, causing Dragonite to take flight, just like Charizard wanted. Red had Charizard snatch Dragonite by her tail then pulled her back down to the scorched ground. The intense heat burned against her back, making Dragonite cry out in pain as she finally got away.

Gill felt his Pokémon's pain and attempted to put an end to it by having her use Aqua Tail. With a belt of water circling around her tail, Dragonite was able to sooth her own suffering, while attempting to pummel Charizard with. She swung her heavy tail forward, unleashing the water that crashed against a still-standing Charizard.

Charizard was just far too determined to keep on standing to submit against Dragonite. He used Seismic Toss to get back at his opponent. He grabbed onto to Dragonite and easily brought them both up into the air where he spun them both around before launching Dragonite down to the ground. Gill's Pokémon landed and was easily overpowered, defeated by her opponent.

Gill closed his eyes, wondering just how much longer he could keep this up against the Kanto Champion. He tried not to dwell too much on this as he chose his next Pokémon, Poliwrath. His mighty fighter took to the battlefield, ready to up against Charizard.

Charizard went flying towards the ground, ready to belt out another ferocious stream of fire. This time, however, Gill was ready for all those tricks. He had Poliwrath do what needed to be done by using Hydro Pump against his incoming opponent.

Poliwrath took a great breath before firing a heavy, torrent of water from his mouth. The water rose up into the chilly air and crashed against the incoming Charizard. Poliwrath kept to his strength as he continued to fire all the water that he possibly could against Charizard. Never missing a beat, Poliwrath drowned Charizard with the water until his opponent surrendered.

Charizard was defeated, leaving Red with only three Pokémon. Still, Red felt that was more than enough as he sent out his own Poliwrath. His faithful Poli was the first Pokémon he ever had, so this one was particularly special to him. He had his Poli go in with an Ice Beam that headed straight towards Gill's Poliwrath.

The beams of ice nearly got Poliwrath, but he was luckily able to get out of the way. The ground was partially frozen as a result of this, making Gill and Poliwrath a little extra cautious as they ventured onward. Poliwrath attempted to get his opponent back by using Dynamic Punch against him, but Poli wasn't about to be one that was caught by surprise. Poli took hold of the incoming fist, bravely withholding the attack.

Poli then held up his own fist which he smashed against Poliwrath's face. Gill's Poliwrath was sent flying back from the raw power behind that single attack. Gill couldn't believe that a single Poliwrath could be so strong, but Red's Poli proved that to be true. His own Poliwrath was having difficulty getting back on his feet, which worried Gill during this final stretch of the battle.

Poliwrath went back to fighting though, using Focus Punch with hopes of catching his opponent off his guard. Poli, however, sprang a trap by using Double Team like ordered to by Red. So a bunch of Poliwrath started to appear who all began to use Focus Punch to throw Gill's Poliwrath off his game. The several fists started flying in, but with only one being real, which was the fist behind Poliwrath.

The immediate hit from Poli's Focus Punch was a game over for Gill's Poliwrath. His Pokémon was easily defeated, granting Red yet another victory over Gill. With only two Pokémon left, Gill knew he had to keep on fighting for his honor as a Champion. So he needed to rely on stealth and speed opposed to raw, offensive power.

Pidgeot was the Pokémon chosen for the job.

Pidgeot took to the air, which Poli tried to make unsafe by using Ice Beam. The freezing attack continuously tried to freeze up Pidgeot, but Gill's Pokémon was quick enough to avoid getting hit. That came to a relief as Gill as he told Pidgeot to strike with an Air Slash.

Flapping his massive wing forward, Pidgeot created an attack that sliced through the very air itself. A strong band of wind formed into a powerful slash that raced down to the ground. Poli covered himself with his arms, taking the full blunt of the attack. Air Slash had moved so fast that it was the only chance that Poli had to avoid was by attempting to block it.

Still, Air Slash had left its mark, leaving Poli a little weaker as he solely was left to rely on long-range attacks. No way that Gill would use his close-range attacks against such a strong Pokémon.

Pidgeot did fly a little closer, however, but still kept his distance. He belted out a Gust by flapping his mighty wings to crush Poli with a fierce wind. Poli was left stumbling around, much to Red's disappointment as he told his partner to hit Pidgeot with another Ice Beam.

Gill refused to be defeated that way though. He commanded Pidgeot to hit Poli with a Hurricane, the strongest move that Pidgeot could muster up.

So a powerful and fierce wind began to blow in as Pidgeot flapped his wings as hard as he could. The wind became a fierce Hurricane that ascended up into the sky and began to make its steady crawl towards Poli. There was no chance in avoiding this attack so Poli simply guarded himself the best that he could as he got hit by the full force of the gale. Luckily enough, the attack ended quickly, but still left Poli defeated by Pidgeot.

Red sighed, softly, as he recalled his Poli to resume this battle. He took out his next Pokéball and chose to send out his Venusaur next. The blue-skinned Pokémon gave out a might growl, shaking the giant leaves and blossomed flower on his back. Venusaur slammed his foot to the ground as he made himself known.

Gill and Pidgeot didn't seem to fear the giant Grass-type Pokémon as they attacked with another Air Slash. The blade of wind flew down to the ground and easily struck Venusaur, hard. The great impact gave Gill the confidence that he'd pull off a win against the Kanto Champion.

However, Venusaur refused to submit so easily. He hurled out a poisonous Sludge Bomb from his mouth that flew up into the sky and exploded next to Pidgeot. The poisonous sludge matted itself down onto Pidgeot's feathers, making him significantly slower as well as feeling a bit toxic.

Pidgeot was forced to fly a little lower, making him a bit more vulnerable to Venusaur's attack. Still though, Gill had the advantage and was not about to be beaten by a big plant. Red, however, was going to make this hard on the Johto Champion.

Red sprang a trap, having Venusaur use Sleep Power once Pidgeot was close enough. The sleepy spores began to shake from the petals of the red petals that were blown into the wind. Pidgeot got a good whiff of this and soon found his eyelids to be very heavy, forcing him to take a landing. Gill tried to wake his Pokémon up, but Pidgeot soon fell into a deep sleep as he now made land.

Exploiting this opportunity, Red had his Pokémon use Frenzy Plant. Giant roots began to spring forth from the ground once Venusaur's body was covered in a green aura. The roots grew to enormous proportions before being used to strike against their opponent, this case being Pidgeot.

Sleeping peacefully, Pidgeot was completely unaware of what was happening to him. The roots did their job and completely devastated Pidgeot, beating him with their grassy might.

Left with only one Pokémon, Gill was totally counting on Typhlosion to bring him the win as he sent him out.

Typhlosion gave out a great breath of fire, sending it up into the sky as his back ignited. He took a good look at Venusaur, growling angrily at his opponent. Venusaur was now left vulnerable to attack, considering the powerful Grass-type attack that he had used to defeat Pidgeot.

Gill had Typhlosion boost his power up by using Sunny Day. Typhlosion hurled a ball of sunny light into the sky that increased his fiery attacks. Before Venusaur had a chance to maybe exploit this advantage by using Solar Beam, Typhlosion used Fire Blast against him. The symbol of fire ripped out from Typhlosion's mouth and took charge against his opponent.

Venusaur was left burned and beaten as he dropped down, unconscious.

Red recalled his defeated Starter Pokémon, the very Pokémon he had received from Professor Oak. The Champion had plenty of fond memories but shook them back as he took out his final Pokéball. "Now, we shall see who is the best," said Red. "Give it everything that you got, Gill Hart! I want to see everything that you're made out of."

Red released his final Pokémon, which turned out to be a Pikachu, of all things.

Still, it was unwise to underestimate Red's Pikachu, which was his strongest Pokémon.

Pikachu bounced around on the field, ready to do battle. Gill attempted to put an end to this match by having Typhlosion use Flamethrower to burn the ground like Charizard did. Typhlosion belted out the fire and ignited the ground, briefly, but Pikachu had safely thrown himself into the air. Pikachu had used Agility just a second before to grant him a serious speed boost before gathering the electricity in his body.

Following Red's command, Pikachu launched a mighty Thunderbolt from his own being. The bolts of electricity escaped his body and crashed into Typhlosion with all the might possible. Typhlosion's eyes lit up with shock as he felt all the power behind the tiny, Electric Mouse. Gill was surprised to see this as well as he soon learned to take this Pikachu very seriously.

But the worst part was the after effects of Thunderbolt, which left Typhlosion paralyzed. Gill knew that this was the moment that could make or break a match. If Gill couldn't get Typhlosion to end the match quickly then the paralysis would leave him completely vulnerable to Pikachu.

Typhlosion attempted to knock Pikachu down by using a Rock Smash against him. Only, Pikachu jumped over Typhlosion's arm then used the limb as a springboard to give himself more height. Pikachu got dangerously close to Typhlosion's face then decided to use Iron Tail, consuming his tail with a steel aura. Pikachu smashed his tail against Typhlosion's face, doing a serious amount of damage to Typhlosion.

The way that Pikachu moved and attacked really showed Gill how well Red had trained him.

Gill admired that, but still wouldn't allow himself to be so easily outclassed. Having Typhlosion use all of his might, he called for a Blast Burn, knowing that Pikachu had no chance to dodge that one. Typhlosion grounded his feet to the ground, fighting his paralysis, as he hunched over with the flames on his back exploding.

Red and Pikachu were both left surprised as Typhlosion unleashed a powerful stream of fire from his back that grew like crazy. An entire wave of fire crashed into Pikachu, leaving Red in a state of distress as he worried over the fate of his Pokémon. The fire continued to roar for what felt like an eternity before Typhlosion dropped to his knees, the paralysis really taking its full effect.

The flames died out, revealing a very injured Pikachu who was struggling to keep on moving. Red smiled as he saw his buddy still standing, while Gill worried if Typhlosion could keep on going. Gill tried to motivate Typhlosion to fight the paralysis but the effects of Blast Burn left Typhlosion vulnerable due to a recharge period.

Red concerned himself over Pikachu and saw that his friend could still fight. So he had Pikachu attempt to put an end to all of this by using Thunder against Typhlosion. The little guy took in all the power that he could muster up as storm clouds gathered above them as he called forth a powerful bolt of Thunder. The attack ripped through the sky and Pikachu directed it at his opponent once lightning had empowered him.

And so Thunder crashed into Typhlosion, leaving its impression, as the full power coursed throughout his being.

For a moment, a lengthy pause was followed by Thunder to see the results of the attack. Gill clenched onto his heart, waiting to see if Typhlosion could keep on fighting, while Red wondered how the Pokémon was still standing.

In the end, Typhlosion completely dropped to the ground in complete exhaustion, while Pikachu slumped forward as well but still conscious.

Both Champions were surprised by the final outcome of the battle with their Pikachu and Typhlosion. Never did either one imagine that such a battle was possible, but the final results were clear enough. Red and his Pikachu had defeated Gill and his Typhlosion, meaning that the Kanto Champion was superior to the Johto Champion.

Silver watched the battle from the sidelines, equally surprised by the end results. He never thought it was possible for anyone to defeat Gill now, but Red had proven that his skills were better than Gill.

One would've imagined that Gill would try to call for a rematch, but he didn't say a single word as he went towards the arena. He went to his Pokémon, stroking the back of his exhausted Typhlosion before sending him back into the Pokéball. Where an ordinary Trainer would've wept and fumed about his loss, Gill only felt a weight rising up from his shoulders as he approached Red.

"That was an amazing battle," Gill told Red. He held his hand out to the Kanto Champion, showing that he had no hard feelings about the final outcome.

Red recognized the boy's honor and felt that there was still a lot of growing up he needed to do. Red might be the "better" Trainer, but Gill had plenty of honor and kindness within him. "It was a close one too," Red said, smiling. "I almost thought that you had me there a few times."

"You still won in the end," said Gill. "Well, Champion, it's time for me to go back home. I think my journey is finally over. What will you do know that you've beaten me?"

For a moment, Red paused as he thought about the things he could do. There were so many options open up to him like exploring the vast reaches of the Pokémon World. "In all honesty, I think I should go home too," Red finally decided. "It's been a long time since I've seen my mom. I'm sure that she's really worried about me."

"She probably is," Gill told him. "Take care, Champion."

"You too, Champion," Red said, both of them sharing smiles.

Gill turned and walked away, reuniting with Silver at the end of the arena. He took his lover's hand so that they may return to New Bark Town together.

* * *

In the three years that followed the battle, Gill had found himself retired now at the age of eighteen. There had been so many changes in his life that occurred during his earlier years that he wanted to have some relative amount of normality in his adulthood. So Gill decided that settling down was the best bet for him since he believed that he had it all figured out. At least, that's what he kept on trying to convince himself.

As the music continued to play, Gill was sitting alone at the head table. He was too busy staring out into the sunset that hung over the beach in Goldenrod City. Even while his family and their friends danced alongside the newly married Lyra and Brendon, Gill kept himself distant from them all. Right now, it was nice to just see everyone enjoying themselves on such a peaceful day now that the ex-Champion had all the time in the world.

This still took some serious adjusting too. Gill had spent almost four years of his life being called Champion only to have suddenly lost the title to a girl from Cherrygrove City. Correction, the young woman, Crystal, had defeated Gill at the Indigo Plateau thus giving rise to a new Pokémon Champion. Although, she wasn't the youngest Champion, a title Gill will hold for who knows how long, she was Johto's first female Champion. That was a great honor that she could hold dear to her heart as she served as a great source of inspiration for all the girls who dreamt of becoming a Pokémon Master.

So now that Crystal relieved Gill of his duties, the young man had all the time in the world to figure out what he'd spend the rest of his life doing. There were so many paths open to him, so many roads to follow that could lead him to new and exciting places. He almost considered taking Brendon's suggestion of competing at the Hoenn League, but decided not to follow through with his brother-in-law's idea.

Gill had spent such a large portion of his life battling that he just wanted to deviate away from that. He wanted to find a bliss that led him away from battling Pokémon, one that would still keep him close to the hearts of Pokémon though.

The young man looked up to the rosy sky, hoping to get answers from up there. But the Heavens didn't seem to be listening to the young man that dressed sharply in a white over-coat and black slacks. Oh well, that only meant that Gill really had his freedom to choose what he'd spend the remainder of his life doing.

"It's time to dance, Gillie!"

Kent snuck up behind his brother's chair and tried to push him out of it. At five year's old that didn't work out so well, but Gill had to applaud his baby brother's efforts. Being the awesome brother that he was, Gill pretended that Kent got him, making the little boy laugh as he took hold of his brother's hand. Plus, it didn't exactly help that Kent had the biggest, most beautiful eyes in the world that made it practically impossible for Gill to tell him no.

So worry about the future would have to wait for another day, apparently.

Gill didn't seem to mind at all as he allowed his brother to drag him off to the dance floor. The little boy brought Gill to the rest of his family, especially over to Lyra who looked like a princess in her white dress. Lyra held her arms out to both her little brothers, wrapping her arms around the both of them as she shared the happiest day in her life with everyone.

Gill and Kent shared similar feelings as they hugged their big sister back, dancing with her in a small circle at the center of the dance floor. Brendon got pushed aside and took advantage of this opportunity to snag another glass of wine to make the partying feel a little more like a party. His parents were here from Hoenn as well, especially his Gym Leader of a father, Normand. They were talking to the siblings' parents, discussing this fine day with Molly and Victor.

It truly was a beautiful wedding.

"You look beautiful, Lyra," Gill said, arm wrapped around his sister. "It's so strange though that you're a married woman now. You're not just our sister anymore, you're somebody's wife!"

"Are you trying to get me to divorce Brendon now?" Lyra asked, laughing at Gill. All while Kent continued to dance circles around his brother and sister. She snatched the boy up and hauled him up into her arms with his little giggles escaping him. "I know it's weird, but it's something that we'll all have to get used, just like you, Gillie. You're no longer the top dog in Johto. You're just a normal person now, like everyone else. How does that feel?"

Gill cracked a smile on his face, not because of what his sister harshly told him, but because he caught sight of someone that really caught his attention. The flaming red hair was a wonderful sight to see on this day, especially since he thought that he wouldn't be able to make it. "I'll let you know when I figure that out," Gill told Lyra. He waved his married sister and baby brother off before running towards the sandy beach towards his happy ending.

There was a pair of arms spread open that waited for Gill to run into them, which the ex-Champion did without hesitation.

Silver lifted Gill up into the air that was dressed rather plainly for a wedding. Gill would've scolded him had he not been well aware of what Silver had gone through today. It only made sense that he'd want to be dressed comfortable, considering the experience that he had to go through at the Pokémon League today.

"Well?" Gill asked, still in Silver's arms. "What happened? Did you get it?"

"Get what?" Silver asked, pretending to be oblivious. He kept his arms around Gill, simply smiling with a puzzled expression on his still youthful face. Although, he didn't bare those worried lines on his face, especially since he wasn't as angry as he had been as a teenager.

Gill wanted to strangle Silver though for not telling him anything. He settled for squeezing on Silver's shoulders for now though as he tried to get the answer. "You know what I mean!" Gill cried out. "So tell me, Silver, did you pass or not? Don't keep me waiting in suspense! You know I'm just dying to find out."

Silver kept his lips shut though before leaning forward to briefly peck Gill's lips. He released his hold on the young man before starting to walk off to join the party. Gill was following close behind, still waiting to hear the potential good or bad news. He hated how Silver was milking this moment out for all it was worth, but that all ended when something shiny could be seen in his hand.

"Is that a Badge?" Gill snatched the shiny object, seeing the very familiar Plain Badge. That's when a very big smile began to light up on Gill's face as he faced his boyfriend of several years. "You did get it!" Gill shouted, full of excitement. "I can't believe it! You passed the exam!"

Finally caving in, Silver decided to give out his confession. He reclaimed the Badge from Gill, holding it up proudly into the air. "Yes, I did pass my Gym Leader's test!" Silver shouted. "Now, you are looking at the official Gym Leader of Goldenrod City. Trainers will no longer be able to claim an easy Badge from Goldenrod City, I shall prevent all of that!"

Gill laughed as shook his head and begged Silver to be nice to his challengers.

Silver refused though as he kissed Gill on the lips, taking hold of the hand that he slipped something onto only a week ago. Now that he was getting paid as a Gym Leader and Gill was getting retirement as a former Champion, they were both set for a long time. Finally, they could move forward with their lives and start planning their own wedding.

"How does a fall wedding sound to you?" Silver asked.

"I think we should do a winter one," Gill said, smiling. "I could really find myself wanting to never leave your side since I'll need you to keep me warm."

Silver got the hint as he kissed Gill once again, wanting nothing more then to be that source of warmth. And soon enough, Silver would be that only source of warmth once the two of them were married.

But that was still a long time from now, especially if Gill really did want that winter wedding. Either way though, they were both willing to wait because they loved each other and nothing could split the two of them apart.

The wild adventure that began so many years ago had finally come to a close. Life was no longer written into a stone path that needed to be followed. For Gill Hart and Silver Sol, they had both finally escaped their shackles to walk a new path to a future that they'd share together. And in this future, they both saw nothing but love as they shared their heart and soul with one another.

Proving this inseparable bond, Ho-Oh and Lugia could be spotted flying in the sky, sending their own blessings down to their Chosen Trainers. They too wished for a lifetime of happiness and love for Gill and Silver.


End file.
